Western Root, Eastern Shore: The Journey of American Ginseng in the Eighteenth and Nineteenth Centuries Restricted; Files Only

Abstract

On February 22, 1784, the Empress of China set sail for Canton, marking the first official American trade voyage to China. The most abundant cargo onboard was 30 tons of American ginseng, an herb indigenous to North America but only discovered by Europeans in 1716. The voyage was a resounding success, with American ginseng emerging as a major domestic export that enabled the newly independent U.S. to quickly pivot into the lucrative China Trade and challenge the British hegemony in the following centuries. Today, it remains a popular ingredient in Chinese medicinal and culinary practices.

This thesis explores the journey of American ginseng in the eighteenth and the nineteenth century and traces its transformation from an aspiring alternative to Asian ginseng into a pivotal ingredient of both the U.S. economy and Qing China’s cultural fabric. It examines the economic and social life of American ginseng to challenge the prevailing Eurocentric perceptions of global trade dynamics, and to complicate the current study of consumer culture in Qing China and the early development of Sino-American relationship during that period.

Contrary to the traditional Eurocentric view of this period of history, the American ginseng trade network highlights the U.S. and China as the core countries. What is more fascinating is the fact that almost every part of this trade was dictated by Chinese consumers, challenging the popular notion of a Western-dominated global trade during this period. Furthermore, the origin of American ginseng makes it a new point of inquiry into evolving Chinese consumer tastes and the societal perception of the U.S. in Qing China.

By analyzing a broad array of diverse Chinese medicinal records and American trade documents, this thesis seeks to bridge the gap between existing quantitative and qualitative research on this subject, offering a more comprehensive account of the economic and social life of American ginseng. This inquiry underscores the importance of recognizing the unconventional yet significant paths of commodities like American ginseng in global history, highlighting the complexity of global exchanges beyond the traditional East-to-West flow during the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. 

Table of Contents

Introduction ..................................................................................................................................1

Chapter I. Roots .............................................................................................................................15

A Brief History of Asian and American Ginseng

Asian Ginseng in China Asian Ginseng Outside of China Flow of Ginseng in East Asia Asian Ginseng in the Qing Dynasty Discovery of American Ginseng

Chapter II. Flows.........................................................................................................................32

American Ginseng in the Global Trade Network

American Ginseng in the Colonial Era The Empress of China On America’s International Trade On America’s Domestic Economy From Mercantilist Europe to Nationalistic U.S

Chapter III. Consumption..........................................................................................................55

American Ginseng in Qing China

Warming the Depleted Body “Cooling” vs. “Warming” The Next Best Thing Foreign Commodities Against Opium Using the Barbarians to Subdue the Barbarians Why Not in the West?

Epilogue .......................................................................................................................................81

Tying Chinese Demand with American Supply

Bibliography..................................................................................................................................87 

About this Honors Thesis

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School	Emory College
Department	History
Degree	B.A.
Submission	Honors Thesis
Language	English
Research Field	History, United States History, Asia, Australia and Oceania
Mot-clé	Qing China Global History U.S.-China Relations 18th and 19th Centuries American Ginseng Medicinal History Global Trade
Committee Chair / Thesis Advisor	Margariti, Roxani , Emory University
Committee Members	Andrade, Tonio , Emory University Chen, Guangchen , Emory University

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