![]() ![]() Philadelphia missionary Frederic Poole cautioned that white women exposed by the Chinese to opium-smoking were at risk of “a life of degradation.” 5 In 1883, Reverend John Liggins wrote of the dangers of the many New York City dens found in Mott and Pearl Streets (still the heart of Chinatown today), and quoted Kane that the habit, learned from the Chinese, contributed to “the downfall of innocent girls and the debasement of married women.” 6 The same year, Allen S. 4Īs opium use among whites increased, community leaders began to signal a concern about the morals of white women. Law enforcement, focused on prosecuting Chinese dens known to attract white clientele, only drove whites deeper into Chinatown, and to smoke at higher rates. Title page of The Demon of the Orient and his Satellite Fiends of the Joints.īeginning with Virginia City the following year, local ordinances banning opium-smoking quickly passed across the U.S. ![]()
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