The History Guy

China and Pirates: The Naval Career of Lawrence Kearney (2025x108)

Air date: Oct 08, 2025

On October 8, 1842 US Navy Captain Lawrence Kearny sent a letter to the Viceroy of Liangjiang urging that American merchants in China be granted the same treaty privileges as the British. The negotiation would set the tone of US China relations for the next hundred years, and establish a still recognized principle in world trade-. It was an extraordinary act, given Kearney’s limited authority.