In 1898, a group of Chinese warriors known as Yihetuan attacked Christian missionaries. Their goal was to rid China of all foreigners. Officially, the leaders of China spoke against the warriors, known by westerners as the Boxers. The name Boxer derived from their symbol—a fist. Secretly, however, the empress supported them. China had been defeated in a series of wars, and she and others wanted China to return to a world power.

In 1898, the Boxers intensified their attacks, and, in 1900, they marched into the capital city of Beijing. There, Dowager Empress Cixi ordered the Boxers to attack the foreign soldiers who had gathered to fight against the Chinese warriors. When the Boxers declared that they would kill all foreigners in the country, the frightened foreigners escaped to a safer part of the city. Then the governments of countries such as the United States, Britain, Germany, Japan, and Russia gathered their troops together to fight the Boxers. On August 14, 1900, foreign troops overtook the Beijing.

Once the fighting ended, the foreign countries demanded payment from China for the war. They asked China to pay a large amount to their countries over the next 40 years. The countries gained more trading rights and control in China, something all of the countries wanted. Over time, Britain and the United States attempted to return the payments and offered them as scholarships to Chinese students. Defeat during the Boxer Rebellion damaged China and led to changes in the government.