The History of Tea: The Leaf Behind the Opium Wars

Tea looks innocent. Its history was anything but. From China's ancient tea culture and Britain's obsession with tea to the opium trade, the Opium Wars, and Robert Fortune's secret mission, this is the hidden history behind one of the world's most familiar drinks. How did tea help trigger a drug trade and a war — and how did one man change where the world's tea grows? This is the story of Tea & Opium. Welcome to BEHIND EVERYTHING — where ordinary things reveal extraordinary histories. #TeaHistory #HistoryOfTea #TeaAndOpium #OpiumWar #OpiumWars #RobertFortune #BritishEmpire #ChineseHistory #ColonialHistory #TradeHistory #WorldHistory #HistoryDocumentary #HiddenHistory #EuropeanHistory #BehindEverything 00:00 The destruction of the opium 00:57 Tea, silver and opium in one minute 01:57 The legend of Shennong, and what we actually know 03:31 Britain's tea habit - The Boston Tea Party 05:29 Opium - Lin Zexu and the First Opium War 07:36 Robert Fortune 09:29 What a teacup hides