Opium, Tea and Trade: The Dark Legacy of Addiction in Victorian England and the First Opium War
As I’m working on my romantic fantasy novel series (Fae of the Crystal Palace) set around the Great Exhibition, I wanted to share some interesting stories I’ve uncovered during my research. Here is an article about opium usage in Britain at the time.
In Victorian England, opium was both a mysterious allure and a societal blight. The image of opium dens, often portrayed in literature and newspapers, conjured visions of dark, exotic places filled with danger and depravity. These dens, particularly in London’s East End and docklands, were often the haunt of sailors and the destitute who had succumbed to addiction. The reality, however, was less widespread than the sensationalist accounts suggested.
Opium use in England wasn’t limited to seedy underworlds. It was a common part of daily life, found in household remedies and available over the counter in chemist shops. The most popular form, laudanum – a tincture of opium and alcohol – was touted as a cure-all for ailments ranging from coughs to “women’s troubles.” Even children were not spared, with opium-laced concoctions like Godfrey’s Cordial given to infants to keep them quiet, often with tragic results.
Despite growing awareness of its addictive properties, opium’s grip on Victorian society was strong. This addiction wasn’t just a British problem, though. The First Opium War (1839-1842) highlighted the darker side of the British Empire’s global reach. Britain, desperate to balance its trade deficit with China, flooded the country with opium, exacerbating a national addiction crisis among the Chinese. When the Chinese authorities attempted to curb the trade, tensions escalated into war. The conflict ended with the Treaty of Nanking, which forced China to cede Hong Kong to Britain and pay a hefty indemnity, while leaving the opium trade largely unaddressed.
Tea, seemingly innocent, played a pivotal role in the origins of the First Opium War. By the 18th century, tea had become a national obsession in Britain, transforming the daily lives and customs of its people. However, this new addiction came at a high cost. Britain’s insatiable demand for tea from China led to a severe trade imbalance, with silver flowing out of Britain at an alarming rate to pay for the precious leaves. Desperate to reverse this trade deficit, Britain turned to opium, cultivated in its Indian colonies, as a solution. By exporting opium to China, the British sought to exchange the drug for silver, which could then be used to buy tea. This strategy not only worsened China’s opium crisis but also set the stage for the eventual military conflict.
The moral complexities of the opium trade cast a long shadow over Britain’s self-image as a global leader in civility and progress. While the British public decried the opium-smoking habits of the Chinese, they often turned a blind eye to their own widespread consumption of the drug in various forms.
As the 19th century drew to a close, the tide began to turn against opium. The growing anti-opium movement, bolstered by the efforts of reformers and religious groups, eventually led to stricter regulations. By the early 20th century, Britain agreed to dismantle the India-China opium trade, marking the end of an era. However, the legacy of opium in Victorian England – a blend of fascination, dependency, and moral ambiguity – remains a potent reminder of the complexities of empire and the human cost of addiction.
My characters find themselves in a London opium den in my Fae of the Crystal Palace book The Entangled where they too question the sensationalist reports at the time and the role of Britain in the opium trade.
You can also read more about this topic in Opium in Victorian Britain and First Opium War at Historic UK.
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Image credit: Wellcome Library, London. A doctor restraining a young man while a lady funnel-feeds his medicine. Coloured etching, c. 1840.
