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Anchored in History - Stories of America's Navy: Ep. 12 - The Boxer Rebellion

Naval History and Heritage Command

Jan. 24, 2025 | 39:00

In the summer of 1900, foreign diplomats living in Beijing's Legation Quarter were besieged by Chinese imperial soldiers and "Boxers," members of a secret society determined to rid China of foreign influence. Defending the Legation Quarter was a small international guard that included 56 American Sailors and Marines. To survive, the Americans communicated with their foreign allies via hand signals, improvised as food supplies and artillery dwindled, and fought fiercely despite nearly impossible odds. But they could not hold out forever. The conflict was the U.S. military's first taste of coalition warfare on a global stage and its first time meeting China on the battlefield. For this episode, we speak with NHHC Writer-Editor Emily Abdow about her work for the NHHC monograph "The Boxer Rebellion: Bluejackets and Marines in China, 1900-1901" and the critical role of the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps led in the defense of the Legation Quarter and the campaign that led to its relief.

Learn more about this topic and review the show notes at https://bit.ly/NHHCPodcast_Episode12.