Page 21 - The Great Wall of China

story, with the headline “GREAT CHINESE Henry Warren, who is cited within Wilber’s
WALL IS DOOMED – PEKING TO SEEK article. The seeds of the rebellion were firmly
WORLD’S TRADE.” That didn’t happen, as planted over a year before the news story
you can clearly see below, and in fact, as was ever conceived, and there’s no evidence
previously mentioned, they didn’t run the story that the Yihetuan faction at the heart of
at all. In fact, none of the papers involved put the uprising was ever aware of the article’s
it anywhere near the front page. existence, let alone raised it as a banner for
their revolt.
Beyond his exaggerated claims of how
“significant” the article supposedly was, and If you’d like to read these, or any other,
how widespread its reach, Wilber also stated old articles yourself, we have an extensive
that the tale had an international impact. microfilm collection home to these and dozens
According to his accounting, when word of of other newspapers (and more!) in the
the story reached China, it so angered the Western History and Genealogy department.
populace that it sparked the Boxer Rebellion! Also, make sure to like our Facebook page, so
This is, of course, nonsense which stemmed you’ll be the first to know what other weirdness
from a cautionary sermon preached by Bishop I manage to hunt down.

Source: https://history.denverlibrary.org/news/fake-news-1899-edition
21