Archival Reasoning

The two central paths of this module are both created out of primary sources. The first is a legal case from the Qing archives, and the second is a collection of materials taken from a British archive. This format is specifically designed to enable visitors to actively participate in the sort of archival reasoning that historians use when they triangulate between the two very different archives. 

In the remainder of this introduction, I lay out my own interpretation of the two archives that make up this module. It should be clear from the outset that I approached these sources with an explicit desire to understand how the opium trade worked: I wanted to know who was doing what, and to understand what people did to make this illegal offshore trade so enormous. My hope is that visitors to this module might have other questions to ask of these sources, and might discover other connections, and craft different narratives. 

Spatial History

As part of the larger Bodies and Structures project of 

The spatial logic of profit. How do people make their money? What are the roles of distance, space, travel, and time in the story of opium profits?

The spatiality of law enforcement and corruption. Why are some people arrested and others not? How does space play a role in the way that states and state actors selectively enforce or ignore laws?

The intersection of space and time. How was time important to the actors involved in the opium trade? What was the relationship of space and time to the project of maximizing opium profits?

Environment and physical geography. How does the physical landscape impact the intertwined stories of profit and corruption on the maritime frontier?

What discrete physical spaces are important to this history? How should we evaluate the significance of these spaces? Think about boats, buildings, beaches, bays, and villages.

Finally, users are encouraged to explore the concept of "space as process" with the materials in this module. What different connections and transformations can we document as arising through the actions of the people in this case? How do the people that appear in these materials interact with and transform larger structures around them?