August 14, 1900: The Boxer Rebellion

August 14, 1900: The Siege of the International Legations is broken by an "Eight-Nation Alliance." It is a turning point in the Chinese uprising that had become known as the "Boxer Rebellion."

After the Sino-Japanese War of 1895, villagers in North China feared the expansion of foreign spheres of influence, and resented the extension of privileges to Christian missionaries, who used them to shield their followers. In 1898, Northern China experienced several natural disasters, including the Yellow River flooding and droughts, which the uprisers blamed on foreign and Christian influence.

In objection to this influence, the Society of Righteous and Harmonious Fists -- Yìhéquán -- was formed. They were anti-foreign, anti-colonial, and anti-Christian. The use of "fists" in the name led to them being called "Boxers" in English, and to their uprising being called the Boxer Rebellion.

Beginning with the Battle of Senlou Temple on October 18, 1899, the Boxers clashed with troops of the federal government, ruled by the Qing Dynasty, officially led by the Guangxu Emperor, but actually led by his aunt, the Empress Dowager Cixi, widow of the Xianfeng Emperor.

The Boxers spread violence across Shandong and the North China Plain, destroying foreign property such as railroads and attacking or murdering Christian missionaries and Chinese Christians. The events came to a head in June 1900, when Boxer fighters, convinced they were invulnerable to foreign weapons, converged on Beijing with the slogan "Support the Qing government and exterminate the foreigners."

Diplomats, missionaries, soldiers and some Chinese Christians took refuge in the diplomatic Legation Quarter in Peking. China has always called the city "Beijing," meaning "Northern Capital," but this name wasn't widely used in the West until Deng Xiaoping began insisting on it in 1979. Nanjing, meaning "Southern Capital," had previously been called "Nanking" by the West.

An Eight-Nation Alliance of American, Austro-Hungarian, British, French, German, Italian, Japanese and Russian troops moved into China to lift the siege, and on June 17, stormed the Dagu Fort at Tianjin. The Empress Dowager, who had initially been hesitant, now supported the Boxers. On June 21, she issued an Imperial Decree declaring war on the invading powers.

The Alliance, after initially being turned back by the Imperial Chinese military and Boxer militia, brought 20,000 armed troops to China. They defeated the Imperial Army in Tianjin, and arrived in Beijing on August 14, relieving the Siege of the International Legations. Plunder of the capital and the surrounding countryside ensued, along with summary execution of those suspected of being Boxers in retribution.

The Qing dynasty's handling of the Boxer Rebellion further weakened their control over China, and led the dynasty to attempt major governmental reforms in the aftermath. It didn't work, and the Chinese monarchy fell in 1911.

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August 14, 1900 was a Tuesday. The only major professional sports league in North America at the time was baseball's National League. These games were played:

* The New York Giants were swept in a doubleheader by the Pittsburgh Pirates, 5-0 and 7-1 at Exposition Park in Pittsburgh.

* The Boston Beaneaters swept a doubleheader from the Chicago Orphans, with both games ending 7-6 at West Side Park in Chicago.

The Chicago team, formerly known as the White Stockings and, for their youth, as the Colts, had long been led by 1st baseman and manager Adrian Constantine Anson. He was known as "Cap," for "Captain," until he got older, and became known as "Pop." He retired after the 1897 season, and the team became known as the "Orphans," because "they missed their Pop." They were renamed the Chicago Cubs in 1903. The Beaneaters went through a few name changed before becoming the Boston Braves in 1912.

* The St. Louis Cardinals beat the Philadelphia Phillies, 6-2 at League Park (later renamed Robison Field) in St. Louis.

* And the Brooklyn Superbas and the Cincinnati Reds were rained out at League Park in Cincinnati. The game was made up as part of a doubleheader the next day. Brooklyn won the opener, 3-2. The nightcap was tied, 4-4 after 9 innings, when it was called due to darkness.

The Superbas were managed by Ned Hanlon, and were named after a popular circus troupe of the era, Hanlon's Superbas. They were renamed the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1911. The Reds played in several ballparks on the site of League Park from 1884 to 1970, the last of these being Crosley Field, starting in 1912.