1868 landmark treaty between the United States and China's Qing government
Lifted emigration restrictions between the US and Qing China, enabling large-scale Chinese immigration to the United States.
Key Facts
- Signed
- 1868, Washington, D.C.
- Ratified
- 1869, Peking
- Amended treaty
- Treaty of Tientsin
- Trade status granted to China
- Most favored nation
- Also known as
- Burlingame–Seward Treaty of 1868
By the Numbers
Location
Cause → Event → Consequence
Prior agreements between the United States and Qing China, notably the Treaty of Tientsin, had left emigration restrictions in place and formal relations underdeveloped. Both nations sought to clarify and strengthen diplomatic and commercial ties, particularly as Chinese labor was in demand in the United States during post-Civil War expansion.
The Burlingame Treaty was signed in Washington, D.C. in 1868 and ratified in Peking in 1869. It amended the Treaty of Tientsin, establishing formal friendly relations between the United States and Qing China, granting China most-favored-nation trade status, and explicitly removing restrictions on emigration from China to the United States.
The treaty's removal of emigration barriers opened the way for large-scale Chinese immigration to the United States. Chinese workers came in significant numbers, contributing substantially to industries such as railroad construction and agriculture, though the influx would later provoke political backlash culminating in the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882.
Political Outcome
Formal friendly relations established; China granted most-favored-nation trade status; emigration restrictions from China to the US lifted.
Limited formal relations; emigration from China to US restricted; no most-favored-nation status for China
Formal diplomatic relations; open Chinese emigration to US; China accorded most-favored-nation trade status