Time for a Little History

China's history books were heavy by the time the first settlers arrived in Minnesota. Here's a brief history in a nutshell to get you started, and then we recommend you visit the fascinating links to the timelines below.

Dynastic Rule

For thousands of years, China was ruled by families that passed control from generation to generation. These ruling families were called "dynasties." They depended on a large "bureaucracy," or ruling class, to keep order and make things run smoothly. Merchants, farmers and peasants worked to make the dynasties rich and prosperous.

In 221 B.C., the Qin (or Ch'in) dynasty united all the regions and established China as a single nation. This happened at about the same time that the Greek civilization in Europe was declining and the Roman civilization was growing stronger.

Chinese dynasties continued to rule until the 20th Century.

Into Modern History

In 1911, a new Chinese Republic was formed, led by Sun Yat-sen and later Chiang Kai-shek. A republic was a very different form of government after so many centuries of family rule.

In 1949, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) declared a new government led by Mao Tse Tung. Communist leaders found support among peasants and working class people who thought the new form of government would bring them a better life.

Others, who sided with the leaders of the Chinese Republic, disagreed with Communism and fled mainland China to live on the island of Taiwan, where they gradually established a democracy. Today, there is great political friction over whether Taiwan should be a separate country or a part of the Peoples Republic of China.

China remains under Communist control today, it’s current President is Hu Jintao.

To get a handle on the scope of this ancient, rich civilization, and to put it into perspective with Minnesota’s history, visit these Web sites:

www.mnsu.edu/emuseum/prehistory/china/index.html
Developed by Minnesota State University, this timeline takes you from ancient China (12,000 B.C.-221 B.C.) to later imperial China (1279-1911) with useful maps of historical periods, a timeline of Chinese dynasties, and a bibliography

www.minnesota-china.com/education/emAsiaArts
A timeline as told by artifacts and arts, with photos, video, maps and commentary

Minnesota Historical Society
http://events.mnhs.org/Timepieces/Timeline.cfm
Do a little comparative history. This timeline stretches all the way back to 3.6 million years ago, when Minnesota was just a big rock.