Why did the Opium Wars begin in China during the late 1800s?

The Opium Wars arose from China's attempts to suppress the opium trade. Foreign traders had been illegally exporting opium mainly from India to China since the 18th century, but that trade grew dramatically from about 1820.

Explanation:

one of the main reasons was definitely slavery. back in 1861, republican abraham lincoln was elected and ended up being a major influence in the slavery business. slavery greatly affected the texas economy because back in 1845 during the annexation of texas, slaves became a big part of the texas population. many texans that were in favor of the secession influenced groups through party ties.