190. George Washington and American Trade with China

In its May 2010 Issue, the well-known E-Magazine edited by the World Federation of Huaren, published Dr. Wang's paper, George Washington and the China Trade. You can read the opening paragraph of his paper below:

The great rule of conduct for us, in regard to foreign nations is in extending our commercial Relations.----George Washington

Embodied Americans’ hope to “break through” the British blockage and revitalize “the depressed postwar economy,” the Empress of China, the first American commercial ship after its independence, left New York for Canton on February 22, 1784.

Not long before the departure of the Empress of China Washington discussed China trade and its impact on the United Stats with Ezra Stiles, the President of Yale College. During the discussion he conveyed the following ideas with Washington, “Navigation will carry the American flag around the globe itself, and display the thirteen stripes and new constellation, at Bengal and Canton, on the Indus and Ganges, on the Whang-ho and the Yang-ti-king, and with commerce will import the wisdom and literature of the East.” About a month after the Empress of China sailed to China, George Washington told Thomas Jefferson that “from trade our citizen will not be restrained.”

You can read the whole article through this link.