like many family members before him, william forbes joined the russell & co. as a partner in 1865 in the trading firm when the american civil war was about to end. at that time the russell & co. was engaged in the anglo-american steamship rivalry on the yangtze river. the russell & co. saw the opportunity to introduce american-produced steamboats to the new treaty ports along the yangtze basin, as the qing government underwent a massive industrialisation project. it relied on the friendship with chinese compradors and merchants as well as the fund from some british companies to found the shanghai steam navigation company.