Throughout the early 1800's, the British East India Comanpy had began trading opium in China, causing productivity to plummet, and sending China into an economic recession. The Chinese military attempted to curtail opium use by seizing British trade ships, and arresting opium users and traders. But this resulted in British ships engaging with Chinese ships, often ending with the death of British citizens. The British ordered the Chinese to stop this, but the Chinese denied their demands, and continued to attack British trade ships. The attacks continued until on October 6, 1856, and the British gathered a group of other nations interested in the conflict. Within the next 2 months, the US, France, and Russia, had joined the war on China.