The Boxers who were the driving force in the rebellion wanted to eliminate all foreign influence in China because they believed that the foreigners were responsible for their problems and that the problems would be solved once the foreigners were removed. In the late 19th century, northern China experienced some deadly natural disasters, including a period of severe floods that was followed by a long drought (Support the Dynasty, Destroy the Foreigners). The area was known for its extreme climate variation that caused economic deprivation and instability. In addition, the peasants there also did not have an irrigation system or any granaries for storing food. These factors led to a great famine in the north; peasants could not grow crops as
