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Luncheon Learn Examines
Boxer Rebellion
|
Phillip Melvin |
It saw
the birth of ragtime, the blues, modern dance, cubism and many other
cultural innovations, but one of the biggest media events of the
early 20th century was the Boxer Rebellion in China. Phillip Melvin,
adjunct professor of history and former dean of Student Life at
Campbell University, examined the conflict in which the siege and
rumored massacre of foreign diplomats and their families in Peking
captivated the imagination of Americans and the world in 1900.
Melvin spoke at a Luncheon Learn held recently on the Campbell
campus.
Resulting in the
death of 400 foreigners, missionaries, priests and nuns, plus tens of
thousands of Chinese Christians, the Boxer Rebellion brought the end of
China’s Ch’ing dynasty, which had ruled for more than two centuries and had
been declining for decades. The siege of the Legation Quarter of Peking by
approximately 80,000 Boxer rebels lasted 55 days and was the subject of the
movie, "55 Days at Peking," starring Ava Gardner. The world
watched as the small group of 350 Legation residents and guards were able to
hold off the Boxers for 55 days. Just as the Legation was on the verge of
falling, a relief force consisting of a coalition of nations arrived and the
Chinese forces dissolved at the sound of foreign guns.
The Boxer rebels
were a secret society of Chinese who were said to be possessed by the spirits
of the characters in their mythology. The influx of foreigners, missionaries,
the spread of Christianity, and inventions such as railroads, telegraphs, and
steam boats that displaced their jobs, were the objects of the Boxers’ anger.
"China was being
carved up by foreign powers," Melvin said. "A newspaper cartoon of the era
depicted a pig surrounded by chefs with carving knives and a caption that
read, ‘Too many chefs, I won’t get cooked.’ But in a sense China survived
because there were too many chefs."
A retired Air Force
lieutenant colonel, Phillip Melvin holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from the
University of Maryland, where he was a distinguished military graduate. He
also earned a Master of Arts degree in Asian studies from Florida State
Unversity. During his military career, Melvin served in combat intelligence in
Thailand, and was a detachment commander in Japan. He has been associated with
Campbell University since 1982.
Bulletin 0047 |
