The United States acquired extraterritorial privileges in China under the Treaty of Wanghia (1844). Until the 1890s, however, Sino-American relations languished in obscurity, as domestic concerns captured America's attention. As a result, efforts to improve the standing of judicially-cloaked consuls in China and attempts to establish an American district court in China failed miserably.; The 1893-97 Depression served to broaden the United States' world view to include China. Economic fears convinced the leading American industrialists that the nation's economic future hinged on China. The United States Court for China was part of a new, proactive American policy towards China. The court succeeded in resurrecting the tarnished image of American extraterritorial jurisdiction. However, the court's primary objective, facilitating the presumably burgeoning interests of American businessmen in China, was never fully achieved, because the American merchants failed to capture a significant share of Chinese trade.
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