Commodore Matthew Perry

Over one hundred and fifty years ago, Matthew Perry, an American commodore, was deemed by the American President to establish ties with ‘the barbarian land’ of Japan. Given the time, the Japanese were thought as the “least interesting people in the world,” yet this sparked a curiosity in Perry which prompted him to action.

The motivation behind the Japanese isolationistic policies lied mainly with the military threats of Western countries and the invasive influence of Western people who brought with them the Christian religion. The island of Japan had been closed to the outside world for nearly 250 years; fear playing a large part in non-interaction with Japan. After the Japanese government closed the nation in 1639, many powers attempted to establish an open relationship with Japan. During this time, nations such as England, France, Holland, Spain and Portugal successfully dominated many Asian countries from the seventeenth to eighteenth centuries. The Japanese had great insight into Western military domination of many countries, especially in the Pacific, and because of this, Western countries had a difficult time approaching Japan. The Japanese government established law providing that in the event that a foreign vessel neared to Japan, the intruder was forced out by a military means. When foreigners entered Japanese waters, many of them were often detained in jails or executed.

Yet the United States recognized Japan as ideally situated to serve as a coaling station for the new steam-powered ships of the U.S. Navy as well as an entrepreneurial venture for new trading opportunities. During Japanese isolation, many American ships had interests in waters near to and off the coast of Japan, needing a port for rest and supplies. However, the Japanese made their lack of interest quite evident, hence preparing Perry for what prove to be one of the greatest challenges of the time.

The U.S. opted to send its Navy to Japan rather than diplomats, a practice that will become ever more increasing through the pages of American History. Matthew Perry personified the Navy. In 1851, Commander Glynn suggested to the President that Matthew Perry could be the leader of an expedition to Japan because of his reliability of experience and judgment, skill, patience, intelligent determination, and naval rank. Perry, born in 1794, devoted all of his life to the expansion of the U.S. Navy; his father, four brothers, and two brothers-in-law had been naval officers and an American newspaper praised Perry as the most efficient officer in the Navy.

Perry also had great deal of experience in dealing with issues of diplomacy during his assignments with the Navy. The first major mission for Perry came in 1819 to transport freed slaves to Africa during the founding of Liberia. Perry also had a record of battle including the U.S. war with Mexico; it was Perry who insisted on superior gunnery in the war with Mexico. Perry, referring to his former commands in Africa and Mexico, said, “I found no difficulty in conciliating the good will and confidence of the conquered people, by administering the unrestricted power I held rather to their comfort and protection than to their annoyance.” (Fallows, 30)

Perry was thought the right person to accomplish such a mission that had to endeavor into a completely and unknown country in Asia. Perry confirmed that the Japanese could not stand against his military might, and did not have sufficient artillery to combat any attack. By using military power, he would scare the Japanese and force them to meet whatever demands the United States had. Obviously military force was the common strategy that Western countries used to dominate not only Asian countries, but all nations that were militarily underdeveloped.

Commodore Perry arrived at Uraga in Japan with five black ships in 1853 to an unsurprisingly hostile welcome. The Japanese reactions were that of astonishment and malice. From the Japanese point of view, Westerners were seen as ‘red-haired barbarians,’ a threat of Christianity and the power of invasion. At that time, the Japanese government encouraged the people to live frugal lives, to receive a moral education, and to follow a military spirit, everything opposite of the Western culture; they considered Western culture as luxurious, immoral, and socially corrupt.

The account of the negotiations between the US and Japan is quite fascinating. In my opinion, many historical accounts fail to emphasize the length of them and the threat behind them. When Perry arrived, he was met aboard his own vessel, the Susquehanna, by the vice-governor of Uraga and an interpreter. However, Perry did not greet them and contacted them through American officers of lower rank. Despite the fact that the American officers stated their purpose in Japan as ‘friendship,’ the vice-governor stated that Japanese law asked all foreign trade to be