Perry and American Imperialism

One hundred fifty-two years ago, on March 31, 1854, Commodore Matthew Perry signed the treaty that opened Japan's doors to America, allowing for trade between the two nations. Commodore Perry's actions were an example of early American imperialism.

Born in 1794 in Rhode Island, Matthew Calbraith Perry served in the War of 1812 but saw very little action. He rose up the naval ranks from the 1820s to the 1840s, ultimately attaining the rank of commodore. Perry was the commanding officer onboard the U.S.S. Fulton, the first steamboat possessed by the United States Navy.

Perry played a role in the Mexican War of 1846-1848. In 1852, President Millard Fillmore charged Commodore Perry with leading a mission to Japan, with the objective of coaxing Japan to open its doors to American diplomacy. For hundreds of years, Japan had practiced an isolationist policy, refusing to associate with any foreigners.

Perry studied the situation in Japan, and concluded that the United States would probably have to intimidate Japan into submission. He sailed into a Japanese harbor with a superior U.S. Navy on July 8, 1853. Japan was initially uncooperative, demanding that the Navy leave Japan, but Perry threatened to use force to open diplomatic doors. Finally, realizing that resistance was futile, Japan agreed to draft a treaty with the U.S.

The Japanese shogun (leader) knew that Western military might was superior, so Japan stalled for time while souping up its navy. However, Commodore Perry returned to Japan in 1854 and finalized the treaty, which was quite one-sided for the United States: American shipwrecked sailors were guaranteed civilized treatment by the Japanese, and the United States was given access to two refueling sites in Japan. The shogun lost power due to his inability to stop the American influence in Japan. The United States' actions led the way for other Western nations to sign treaties with Japan as well.

As for Perry, he became quite famous in America, and was considered an expert authority on the Orient. As Encyclopaedia Britanica says, "Perry stressed the danger of British and Russian expansion and urged a more active U.S. role in the Orient. He specifically recommended the acquisition of island bases in the Pacific to assure U.S. military and commercial superiority in the area, but the government was not ready to act on these proposals for roughly half a century" (Encyclopaedia Britannica).

Commodore Matthew Perry died in 1858. His actions towards Japan opened Japan to the international scene and can be seen as the origin of 20th Century Japanese imperialism, a key cause of World War II nearly a century after Perry entered a Japanese bay.

Sources: Wikipedia, Encyclopaedia Britannica