pt. I. The East India trade. The beginnings of American commerce: The American ports ; The vessels employed ; Crews, captains and owners ; Cargoes -- The ports of Asia and the Pacific: Isle de France and India ; Adventures -- Mocha, Sumatra, Siam ; Batavia and Manila ; The fur trade ; The Northwest coast -- Early China trade: Macao, Whampoa and Canton ; Conditions of American trade ; The Americans and the British ; The human element in the trade ; Major Samuel Shaw.

pt. II. The first treaty with China. The foundations of American policy in Asia: Review of trade: 1815-1839 ; Relation of U.S. government to American citizens in China ; Relations with Portuguese and English ; Relations with the Chinese government ; Terranova incident -- The Americans and the Anglo-Chinese war: Foreigners imprisoned in the factories ; The Americans petition Congress ; Congress becomes interested ; Commodore Kearny's most-favored-nation agreement ; The mission created -- The American share in the opium trade. Turkey and India opium ; Conflict with Chinese -- the pledge ; Commodore Kearny's action -- Preparation for the Cushing mission: The Edmund Roberts mission ; Webster consults the merchants ; Instructions to Cushing ; Caleb Cushing goes to Macao -- The policy of Caleb Cushing: The negotiations ; The immediate application of the principles of the treaty ; Superior advantages of the Cushing treaty ; Extraterritoriality ; Responsibility placed on the Chinese ; Divergence from British policy.

pt. III. A period of confusion. The Far East becomes a political question: The international situation ; Multiplication of American interests in China ; Commissioners and consuls -- Settlement of the Shanghai land question: Early American in Shanghai ; American protests against exclusive concessions ; The municipal code ; Final settlement of a vexed question -- Humphrey Marshall and the Taiping rebellion: Growth of the rebellion ; The dilemma presented to the foreigners ; Marshall becomes suspicious of British designs ; Shall Shanghai become a free port? ; Marshall forces dissolution of provisional system -- The policy of Commissioner McLane: The inspectorate of maritime customs ; McLane settles the American claims ; Treaty revision ; McLane and Bowring go to the Pei-ho -- Attempts to open Japan to trade: Japan and early Pacific trade ; Edmund Roberts and Japan ; Visit of the Morrison, 1837 ; Revival of American interest in Japan ; European powers and Japan -- Commodore Perry's policy: Instructions ; Negotiations and treaty ; Perry's proposals for Far Eastern policy -- The policy of Dr. Peter Parker -- Formosa: Treaty revision -- destruction of barrier forts ; An American protectorate for Formosa ; Disavowal by the American government -- The Buchanan administration and the Far East: Increase of American prestige under Pierce ; Ebbing distrust of Great Britain ; Proposals for an alliance with Great Britain and France ; Instructions to William B. Reed.

pt. IV. The cooperative policy. William B. Reed and the treaty of Tientsin: The treaties of Tientsin ; The revised tariff -- legalization of the opium trade ; Settlement claims -- Ward and Tattnall -- exchange of ratifications: The conflict renewed ; "Blood is thicker than water" ; The American minister goes to Peking -- The policy of Townsend Harris in Japan: Appointment of Townsend Harris -- instructions and treaty with Siam ; Arrival of Harris in Japan -- convention of 1857 ; Harris at Yedo ; Treaty and tariff of 1858 -- Anson Burlingame: The suppression of the Taiping rebellion ; Burlingame and cooperation ; The first Chinese mission -- treaty of 1868 ; The Burlingame mission in Europe and China -- The United States and Japan, 1858-1869: Anti-foreign agitation ; Convention of 1866 -- Seward's Far Eastern policy: Seward, Burlingame and China ; Coercion of Japan ; Alaska and Korea ; Proposed joint expedition to Korea.

pt. V. The rise of Japan. First steps in Japanese expansion: The politically nebulous East ; The Japanese empire begins consolidation ; Japan on the verge of war ; Formosa, the Lew Chews and Korea -- The United States and Korea -- treaty of 1882: Expediency of disturbing the status quo ; The United States inclines towards Japan ; Shufeldt and the good offices of Li Hung Chang ; The personal views of Commodore Shufeldt --- Beginings of the contest for Korea: Japanese advance ; China and Great Britain are aroused ; Korea, 1885-1894 -- American good offices -- Sino-Japanese war: American mediation in the Franco-Chinese war, 1883-1884 ; Good offices of the United States in Korea ; Korea after the peace of Shimonoseki -- Treaty revision: Revision in China by interpretation and agreement ; Japanese effort at revision, 1872 ; Policy of Judge Bingham -- treaty of 1878 ; The Shufeldt treaty with Korea ; The unratified treaty of 1889 ; Treaties of 1894

pt. VI. The disintegration of the Chinese empire. Asiatic immigration and American foreign policy: The coolie traffic ; Chinese labor in California ; Treaties of 1868 and 1880 ; Growth of ill feeling ; The threat of Japanese immigration -- The missionaries and American policy in Asia: Missionaries as diplomatic and consular officers ; The status of missionaries under the treaties ; Missionaries and neutrality ; Persecution of Christians in China -- American trade, 1844-1898: Decline of American shipping ; Foreign advisors in China, Japan and Korea ; Foreign concessions at the treaty ports ; Telegraphs and cables ; The first railways ; Railway construction in China after 1885 ; Spheres of influence -- Hawaii and the Philippines: The annexation of Hawaii ; Suspicion of Japanese designs in Hawaii ; The Philippines in the Spanish-American War ; Peace negotiations with Spain ; Debates on Hawaii and the Philippines ; Significance of Senate approval of treaty of Paris -- The reassertion of the open door policy: The Far East in 1899 ; Overtures for an alliance ; John Hay and the open door notes ; what was obtained? -- The United States and the Boxer insurrection: The Boxer insurrection ; The desires of the American government ; Independent or concurrent action -- Personalities and principles: The consular and diplomatic service ; The contributors to American policy ; The cooperative policy -- Notes of bibliography.

New frontiers in Asia -- Writing the open door notes -- Theodore Roosevelt tries world politics -- Dollar diplomacy -- War in Europe -- Wilson challenges Japan -- From Paris to Washington -- Freezing the Pacific -- Immigration -- The quest for collective security -- The "24-hour" policy: conclusion.