·在海光寺簽訂中英 《天津條約》 自左至右坐者： 花沙納、額爾金、桂良、西馬縻各里 (英軍司令)

第二次鴉片戰(zhàn)爭期間，進行了3次大沽口之戰(zhàn)。第一次大沽口之戰(zhàn)，始于英國借故進攻廣州，挑起第二次鴉片戰(zhàn)爭后的第二年，即清咸豐八年(1858)三月。作為交戰(zhàn)方的英、法兩國公使，以交涉修訂《南京條約》為借口，率兩國艦隊駛抵大沽口進行武力威脅。美、俄兩國公使以 “調?！睘槊?，各率艦隊隨之而來。
三月十三日 (4月26日),清朝廷任命譚廷襄為直隸總督，負責與侵略者進行 “修約” 談判。但是侵略者已下定戰(zhàn)爭決心，根本就無誠意談判，只是與美、俄串通一氣，以談判為掩護，進行實質性的作戰(zhàn)準備。這時，集結于大沽口外的4國艦艇共32艘，其中英、法艦艇26艘，軍隊3500人。清軍在大沽口有道光年間修建的炮臺5座，北岸磚炮臺業(yè)已坍塌； 集結兵力8000余名。兵力超過敵軍一倍多，又有炮臺可守。但是譚廷襄和天津道錢炘和等人，卻無作戰(zhàn)的決心，一味寄希望和談。把運去的“大炮、器械、糧臺重務皆列于炮臺”之上，不過是為了 “以壯觀瞻”而已。
四月八日 (5月20日)上午8時，英公使額爾金和法公使葛羅發(fā)出通諜，限令清軍在兩小時內交出炮臺。10時，英、法聯(lián)軍艦隊開始進攻大沽炮臺。英艦 “鸕鶿”號和法艦 “霰彈”號、“火箭”號，載兵600余人攻北岸炮臺。英艦 “納羅”號和法艦“雪崩”號、“龍騎兵”號，載兵700余人攻南岸炮臺。炮臺守軍進行了英勇還擊。11時，北炮臺火藥庫中彈爆炸后失陷。據(jù)守南岸炮臺的譚廷襄、錢炘和等人倉惶向天津逃跑，南炮臺守軍也全面潰散，火炮、糧臺盡陷敵手。戰(zhàn)斗僅進行了1個多小時，敵人傷亡90多人，清軍傷亡200余人。北炮臺游擊沙春元，南炮臺都司陳毅、千總常榮魁先后陣亡。提督張殿元、總兵達年和協(xié)副將德魁等人，則以疏防怯戰(zhàn)獲咎，被下獄治罪。
大沽炮臺失陷后，四月十四日 (5月26日),英、法和美、俄聯(lián)軍水、陸兩路逼近天津。清政府被迫派桂良、花沙納，于五月三、八、十六、十七等日，分別與俄使普提雅廷、美使列衛(wèi)廉、英使額爾金、法使葛羅，在海光寺簽訂了喪權辱國的《天津條約》。其主要內容是：
外國公使駐北京； 開放牛莊 (營口)、登州(煙臺)、臺灣 (后改定臺南)淡水、潮州 (后改汕頭)、瓊州、漢口、九江、南京、鎮(zhèn)江等處為通商口岸； 外國人可到內地游歷、通商、傳教； 外國軍艦、商船可駛入長江及各通商口岸；修改稅則，外貨入內地征子口稅百分之二點五；對英賠款四百萬兩、對法賠款二百萬兩。后來又在上海與英、法、美簽訂《通商章程善后條約》作為《天津條約》的附約，主要內容是： 鴉片貿易合法化、海關稅務由英人幫辦。
《天津條約》是中國社會殖民地化的又一重要標志，而條約在天津的訂立過程，反映出外國資本主義侵華的注意力已從南方逐漸轉向北方。

·英法艦隊在進攻大沽炮臺

Three battles occurred at the Dagu Emplacement duringthe Second Opium War. The first Dagu EmplacementBattle began when UK attacked Guangzhou with apretext in March,1858 (the eighth year of EmperorXianfeng). The ambassadors of UK and France led theirrespective fleets to Dagu Emplacement under the coverof revising the "Nanjing Treaty." The ambassadors of USand Russia followed suits and led their fleets there forthe so-called "settlement".
On April 26,the Qing Government appointed TanTingxiang,the Governor-General of Zhili and orderedhim to be responsible for the "Nanjing Treaty" revisionnegotiations. However,the invaders intended for warinstead of negotiation. They colluded with the USand Russia for the preparations of war under coverof negotiation. Thirty two warships were assembledoutside the Dagu Emplacement; British and Frenchones numbered 26. Their troops totaled 3,500. The Qingarmy built five cannon fornications during the EmperorDaoguang period. Although the northern fortificationhad collapsed,the Qing Government stationed 80,000or so soldiers,two times more than the enemies. It wasa pity that Tan Tingxiang determined not to defense buthoped only for negotiations. They displayed the cannons,facilities and army provisions on the emplacement justfor a "grand view."
At 8 am on May 20,British Ambassador LordElgin and French Ambassador Gloria together issuedthe diplomatic note. At 10 am,the allied fleet of UK andFrance began attack the Dagu Emplacement. BritishCormorant Sheet,French Shrapnel Sheet and RocketSheet carried about 600 soldiers to attack the northernemplacement. Two ships from Britain and France withabout 700 soldiers on board began to attack the southernemplacement. The Qing soldiers fought back bravely. At11 am,the power magazine of the northern emplacementexploded and lost. Tan Tingxiang and Qian Xinhe ranfor their lives. The soldiers stationed at the southernemplacement also escaped,leaving the cannons andarmy provisions to the enemies. The battled lasted onlyabout an hour. The casualties of the enemies were about90,whereas that of Qing army,about 200 includingseveral officers: Sha Chunyuan,Chen Yi and RongKuixian. Zhang Dianyuan,the provincial commanderand his subordinates Da Nian and De Kui were put injail because of their timidity in the war.
On May 26,the allied forces of UK,France,US andRussia approached Tianjin by land and sea. The QingDynasty was forced to send Gui Liang and Hua Shanato sign the humiliating Tianjin Treaty at Haiguangsiwith Russia,US,UK and France respectively. The maincontent of the Tianjin Treaty are like the following:
Foreign ambassadors could stay in Beijing; Citieslike Niuzhuang(Yingkou),Dengzhou (Yantai); Danshuiin Taiwan (later changed into Tainan),Chaozhou (laterchanged into Shantou),Qiongzhou,Hankou,Jiujiang,Nanjing,Zhenjiang opened ports for business; foreignerscould go to inland China to travel,to do business,or topreach; foreign warships and commercial ships couldsail in Yangze River and harbor in the ports of the abovementioned cities; tax regulations are revised and the taxrate for foreign commodities was 2.5%; indemnitieswere paid,4 million liang to Britain and 2 millionliang to France. Later,an additional treaty was signedin Shanghai with Britain,France and the US,the maincontent of this treaty was: to legalize opium trade and toallow the British be involved in China`s custom taxation.
Tianjin Treaty is another important symbolsignifying that China`s turning into a colony; The treaty`ssigning process in Tianjin indicated that,the foreigninvader`s attention had been shifted from the south to thenorth of China.

·英國維多利亞女王批準《天津條約》的諭文譯文