Matthew Calbraith Perry (1794-1858), photographed in 1852.

Matthew Calbraith^[1] Perry (April 10, 1794 – March 4, 1858) was the Commodore of the U.S. Navy who compelled the opening of Japan to the West with the Convention of Kanagawa in 1854. Events 879 - Louis III becomes King of the Western Franks. 1407 - the lama Year 1794 ( MDCCXCIV) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Events 51 - Nero, later to become Roman Emperor, is given the title Princeps iuventutis (head of the youth Year 1858 ( MDCCCLVIII) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar (or a Common Please see " Commodore " for other uses of this rank Commodore is a rank of the United States Navy with a somewhat For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Japan topics. On March 31, 1854, the or was concluded between Commodore Matthew Perry of the U

Early life and naval career

Perry was the son of Navy Captain Craig Christopher R. Perry and the younger brother of Oliver Hazard Perry. Captain Christopher Raymond Perry ( 4 December 1761 &ndash 1 June 1818) was an American officer in the United States Navy Commodore Oliver Hazard Perry (August 20 1785 &ndash August 23 1819 was an officer in the United States Navy. Matthew Perry got a midshipman's commission in the Navy in 1809, and was initially assigned to Revenge, under the command of his elder brother. Early service Revenge was purchased by the Navy at New Orleans in December 1806

Commodore Perry's early career saw him assigned to several ships, including the President, which was in a victorious engagement over a British vessel, HMS Little Belt, shortly before the War of 1812 was officially declared. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located The War of 1812 was fought between the United States of America and the British Empire, particularly Great Britain and her North American colonies Aboard the USS President he served as aide to Commodore John Rodgers. John Rodgers ( July 11, 1772 - August 1, 1838) was an American naval officer who served in the United States Navy from its organization During that war Perry was transferred to USS United States, and as a result saw little fighting in that war thereafter, since the ship was trapped at New London, Connecticut. Launch United States was the first American warship to be launched under the Naval Act of 1794, four months before the launching of her sister ship USS New London is a seaport city and a Port of entry on the northeast coast of the United States After that war he served on various vessels in the Mediterranean and Africa (notably aboard USS Cyane during its patrol off Liberia in 1819-1820), and was sent to suppress piracy and the slave trade in the West Indies. Liberia, officially the Republic of Liberia, is a country on the west coast of Africa, bordered by Sierra Leone, Guinea, Côte d'Ivoire Piracy is Robbery committed at sea or sometimes on shore without a commission from a sovereign Nation (as distinct from Privateering The history of slavery uncovers many different forms of human exploitation across many cultures throughout history The Caribbean (ˌkærəˡbiən kæ'rəbiən Cariben|Caraïben or Caraïben; Caraïbe or more commonly Antilles; Caribe is a Region consisting Later during this period, while in port in Russia, Perry was offered a commission in the Russian navy, which he declined. Russia (Россия Rossiya) or the Russian Federation ( Rossiyskaya Federatsiya) is a transcontinental Country extending The Russian Navy or VMF ( Russian: Военно-Морской Флот (ВМФ России- Voyenno-Morskoy Flot Rossii (VMF or literally Military Maritime

Command assignments, 1820s-1840s

Opening of Key West

An exact replica of the Gokoku-ji Bell which Commodore (Cdre. ) Perry brought back from Japan as a gift from the Ryukyuan Government. Currently stationed at the entrance of Bancroft Hall at the United States Naval Academy in Annapolis, MD

Perry commanded the Shark from 1821-1825. Bancroft Hall at the United States Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland, is the largest single Dormitory in the world The United States Naval Academy is an undergraduate college in Annapolis, Maryland, United States that educates and commissions officers of the United States Annapolis is the capital of the US state of Maryland, as well as the County seat of Anne Arundel County. History Shark sailed from the Washington Navy Yard on 15 July for New York, where she received Dr In 1763, when Britain possessed Florida, the Spanish contended that the Florida Keys were part of Cuba and North Havana. The Florida Keys are an Archipelago of about 1700 islands in the southeast United States. The Republic of Cuba (ˈkjuːbə or) consists of the island of Cuba (the largest and second-most populous island of the Greater Antilles) Isla de la Certain elements within the United States felt that Key West (which was then named Cayo Hueso, which means "Bone Island") could potentially be the "Gibraltar of the West" because it guarded the northern edge of the 90 mile (145 km) wide Straits of Florida -- the deep water route between the Atlantic and the Gulf of Mexico. Key West is a city in Monroe County Florida, United States. The city encompasses Key West, the namesake island the part of Stock Island The Straits of Florida, Florida Straits, or Florida Strait is a Strait located south-southeast of the North American Mainland, generally accepted The Gulf of Mexico ( Spanish: Golfo de México) is the ninth largest Body of water in the world

In 1815 the Spanish governor in Havana deeded the island of Key West, Florida to Juan Pablo Salas of Saint Augustine, Florida. Havana ( IPA: aˈβana officially Ciudad de La Habana, is the Capital city, major port and leading Key West is a city in Monroe County Florida, United States. The city encompasses Key West, the namesake island the part of Stock Island St Augustine is the County seat of St Johns County, Florida, in the United States. After Florida was transferred to the United States, Salas sold Key West to U. S. businessman John W. Simonton for $2,000 in 1821. Simonton lobbied the U.S. Government to establish a naval base on Key West, both to take advantage of its strategic location and to bring law and order to Key West town. The federal government of the United States is the central United States Governmental body established by the United States Constitution.

On March 25, 1822, Perry sailed the schooner Shark to Key West and planted the U. Events 1199 - Richard I is wounded by a crossbow bolt while fighting France which leads to his death on April 6. Year 1822 (MDCCCXXII was a Common year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year starting on Sunday of the A schooner (ˈskuːnɚ is a type of sailing vessel characterized by the use of fore-and-aft sails on two or more masts Schooners were first used by the History Shark sailed from the Washington Navy Yard on 15 July for New York, where she received Dr S. flag, physically claiming the Keys as United States property.

Perry renamed Cayo Hueso "Thompson's Island" for the Secretary of the Navy Smith Thompson and the harbor "Port Rodgers" for the president of the Board of Navy Commissioners. Smith Thompson ( January 17, 1768 New York City - December 18, 1843) was a United States Secretary of the Navy and Neither name stuck.

From 1826-1827 Perry acted as fleet captain for Commodore Rodgers. Perry returned to Charleston, South Carolina for shore duty in 1828, and in 1830 took command of USS Concord. Charleston is a city in Charleston county in the US state of South Carolina. He spent the years of 1833-1837 as second officer of the New York Navy Yard (later the Brooklyn Navy Yard), gaining promotion to captain at the end of this tour. The United States Navy Yard New York - better known as the Brooklyn Navy Yard or the New York Naval Shipyard (NYNSY - is an American shipyard located

Father of the Steam Navy

Perry had a considerable interest in naval education, supporting an apprentice system to train new seamen, and helped establish the curriculum for the United States Naval Academy. Apprenticeship is a system of Training a new generation of practitioners of a skill The United States Naval Academy is an undergraduate college in Annapolis, Maryland, United States that educates and commissions officers of the United States He was also a vocal proponent of modernizing the Navy. Once promoted to captain, he oversaw construction of the Navy's second steam frigate, USS Fulton, which he commanded after its completion. Service in the North Atlantic Fulton cruised the Atlantic coast aiding ships in distress conducting ordnance experiments and training officers in gunnery He was called "The Father of the Steam Navy",^[2] and he organized America's first corps of naval engineers, and conducted the first U. S. naval gunnery school while commanding Fulton in 1839-1840 off Sandy Hook on the coast of New Jersey. Sandy Hook is a barrier peninsula, approximately 97 kilometers (between 6 and 7 miles in length and 800 meters (0 New Jersey ( is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States.

Promotion to Commodore

Perry was received the title of Commodore in June 1840, when the Secretary of the Navy appointed him commandant of New York Navy Yard in Brooklyn. Please see " Commodore " for other uses of this rank Commodore is a rank of the United States Navy with a somewhat The United States Secretary of the Navy ( SECNAV) is the Civilian head of the Department of the Navy. The United States Navy Yard New York - better known as the Brooklyn Navy Yard or the New York Naval Shipyard (NYNSY - is an American shipyard located ^[3]

Despite the added responsibilities of his new posting, Perry's official naval rank remained unchanged. The title "commodore" added nothing to his pay or to his permanent rank of captain. Until 1862, four years after Perry's death in 1858, the title commodore would not come to signify a higher grade or an increased salary; but now, nearly a 150 years later, Commodore remains inextricably linked with the name of one of his nation's most well-known naval heroes. ^[3]

In 1843, Commodore Perry he took command of the African Squadron, whose duty was to interdict the slave trade under the Webster-Ashburton Treaty, and continued in this endeavor through 1844. The Africa Squadron was a unit of the United States Navy that operated from 1843 to 1861 to suppress the Slave trade along the coast of West Africa. The history of slavery uncovers many different forms of human exploitation across many cultures throughout history The Webster-Ashburton Treaty, signed August 9, 1842, settled the dispute over the location of the Maine - New Brunswick border between the

The Mexican-American War

In 1845, Commodore David Connor's length of service in command of the Home Squadron had come to an end. Commodore David Conner (1792 &ndash 20 March 1856) was an officer of the United States Navy, whose service included the War of 1812 The Home Squadron was part of the United States Navy in the mid-1800s However, the coming of the Mexican-American War persuaded the authorities not to change commanders in the face of the war. Perry, who would eventually succeed Connor, was made second-in-command and captained the USS Mississippi. Perry captured the Mexican city of Frontera, demonstrated against Tabasco and took part in the Tampico Expedition. Tabasco is a state in Mexico. It is bordered by the states of Veracruz to the west Chiapas to the south and Campeche to the He had to return to Norfolk, Virginia to make repairs and was still there when the amphibious landings at Veracruz took place. Norfolk is an Independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States The city of Veracruz is a major port city and municipality on the Gulf of Mexico in the Mexican state of Veracruz. His return to the U. S. gave his superiors the chance to finally give him orders to succeed Commodore Connor in command of the Home Squadron. Perry returned to the fleet during the siege of Veracruz and his ship supported the siege from the sea. The Battle of Veracruz was a 20-day Siege of the key Mexican seaport of Veracruz, during the Mexican-American War. After the fall of Veracruz Winfield Scott moved inland and Perry moved against the remaining Mexican port cities. Winfield Scott ( June 13, 1786 &ndash May 29, 1866) was a United States Army general Diplomat, and presidential candidate Perry assembled the Mosquito Fleet and captured Tuxpan in April, 1847. The term Mosquito Fleet has had six main meanings in US naval history It is the term used to describe the United States Navy 's fleet of small The Battle of Tuxpan was a battle fought during the Mexican-American War. In July 1847 he attacked Tabasco personally, leading a 1,173-man landing force ashore and attacking the city from land. The Second Battle of Tabasco, also known as the Battle of Villahermosa, was a battle fought in June 1847 during the Mexican-American War as part of the U ^[4]

The Opening of Japan: 1852-1854

Japanese woodblock print of Commodore Perry, c. Woodblock printing in Japan (木版画 moku hanga) is a technique best known for its use in the Ukiyo-e artistic genre however it was 1854.

See also: Late Tokugawa shogunate

In advance of his voyage to the Far East, Commodore Perry read widely amongst available books about Tokugawa Japan. are the final years of the Edo period when the Tokugawa shogunate came to an end His research even including consultation with the increasingly well-known Japanologist Philipp Franz von Siebold who had lived on the Dutch island of Dejima for eight years before retiring to Leiden in the Netherlands. Japanese Studies (aka Japanology) is the study of Japan. Japanology and Japanese studies are terms generally used in Europe to describe the historical Philipp Franz Balthasar von Siebold ( February 17, 1796 in Würzburg - October 18, 1866 in Munich) was a German physician was a fan-shaped Artificial island in the bay of Nagasaki that was a Dutch Trading port during Japan 's self-imposed isolation ( Sakoku "Leyden" redirects here For other uses see Leyden (disambiguation. ^[5]

Precedents

Perry's expedition to Japan was preceded by several naval expeditions by American ships:

• From 1797 to 1809, several American ships traded in Nagasaki under the Dutch flag, upon the request of the Dutch, who were not able to send their own ships because of their conflict against Britain during the Napoleonic Wars. ( is the Capital and the largest city of Nagasaki Prefecture in Japan. The Netherlands ( Dutch:, ˈnedərlɑnt is the European part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, which consists of the Netherlands the Netherlands The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland was the formal name of the United Kingdom from 1 January 1801 until 12 April 1927 The Napoleonic Wars (1803-1815 involved Napoleon's French Empire and a shifting set of European allies and opposing coalitions Japan limited foreign trade to the Dutch and Chinese at that time, under the policy of sakoku. Sakoku ( Japanese: 鎖国 literally "country in chains" or "lock up of country" was the Foreign relations policy of Japan under which

• In 1837, an American businessman in Canton named Charles W. King saw an opportunity to open trade by trying to return to Japan three Japanese sailors (among them, Otokichi) who had been shipwrecked a few years before on the coast of Washington. Charles W King was an American trader in Canton, who is famous for having tried to open trade with Japan on the pretext of repatriating seven Japanese castaways was a Japanese Castaway originally from the area of Onoura near Mihama, on the west coast of the Chita Peninsula in Aichi Prefecture. Washington ( is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. He went to Uraga Channel with Morrison, an unarmed American merchant ship. The Uraga Channel (浦賀水道 Uraga-suido is a waterway connecting Tokyo Bay to the Sagami Gulf. The ship was attacked several times, and sailed back without completing its mission.

• In 1846, Commander James Biddle, sent by the United States Government to open trade, anchored in Tokyo Bay with two ships, including one warship armed with 72 cannons, but his requests for a trade agreement remained unsuccessful. James Biddle ( February 18, 1783 - October 1, 1848) of the Biddle family, brother of financier Nicholas Biddle and nephew is a bay in the southern Kantō region of Japan. Its old name was. ^[6]

• In 1848, Captain James Glynn sailed to Nagasaki, leading at last to the first successful negotiation by an American with "Closed Country" Japan. James Glynn (1800&ndash1871 was a US Navy officer who in 1848 distinguished himself by being the first American to negotiate successfully with the Japanese during ( is the Capital and the largest city of Nagasaki Prefecture in Japan. Sakoku ( Japanese: 鎖国 literally "country in chains" or "lock up of country" was the Foreign relations policy of Japan under which James Glynn recommended to the United States Congress that negotiations to open Japan should be backed up by a demonstration of force, thus paving the way to Perry's expedition. The United States Congress is the bicameral Legislature of the federal government of the United States of America, consisting of two houses ^[7]

First visit, 1852-1853

In 1852, Perry embarked from Norfolk, Virginia for Japan, in command of a squadron in search of a Japanese trade treaty. Norfolk is an Independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Japan topics. Aboard a black-hulled steam frigate, he ported Mississippi, Plymouth, Saratoga, and Susquehanna at Uraga Harbor near Edo (modern Tokyo bay) on July 8, 1853. Built in Boston in 1844 Built by the Boston Navy Yard, she departed Boston Massachusetts, on 3 April 1844 for the Mediterranean See also USS Nightingale (1851 is a Harbor in the city of Yokosuka, Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan, near Tokyo. literally bay - Door, " Estuary " edo once also spelled Yedo or Yeddo, is the is a bay in the southern Kantō region of Japan. Its old name was. Events 939 - The Major Occultation or Ghaybat el-Kubra of Muhammad al-Mahdi 1099 - First Crusade: 15000 Year 1853 ( MDCCCLIII) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar (or a Common His actions at this crucial juncture were informed by a careful study of Japan's previous contacts with Western ships and what could be known about the Japanese hierarchical culture. He was met by representatives of the Tokugawa Shogunate who told him to proceed to Nagasaki, where there was limited trade with the Netherlands and which was the only Japanese port open to foreigners at that time (see Sakoku). The Tokugawa shogunate, also known as the, and the, was a feudal regime of Japan established by Tokugawa Ieyasu and ruled by the Shoguns of ( is the Capital and the largest city of Nagasaki Prefecture in Japan. The Netherlands ( Dutch:, ˈnedərlɑnt is the European part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, which consists of the Netherlands the Netherlands Sakoku ( Japanese: 鎖国 literally "country in chains" or "lock up of country" was the Foreign relations policy of Japan under which Perry refused to leave and demanded permission to present a letter from President Millard Fillmore, threatening force if he was denied. Millard Fillmore ( January 7 1800 &ndash March 8 1874 was the thirteenth President of the United States, serving from 1850 until 1853 and the last member of the Whig The Japanese military forces could not resist Perry's modern weaponry; the "Black Ships" would then become, in Japan, a threatening symbol of Western technology. The Black Ships (in Japanese, 黒船 kurofune) was the name given to Western vessels arriving in Japan between the 15th and 19th centuries ^[8]

The Japanese government let Perry come ashore to avoid a naval bombardment. Perry landed at Kurihama (in modern-day Yokosuka) on July 14, 1853^[9] presented the letter to delegates present, and left for the Chinese coast, promising to return for a reply. is a city located in Kanagawa, Japan. It is located at the mouth of Tokyo Bay in the Miura Peninsula, and the city stretches across Events 1223 - Louis VIII becomes King of France upon the death of his father Philip II of France. Year 1853 ( MDCCCLIII) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar (or a Common ^[10]

Second visit, 1854

Commodore Perry's fleet for his second visit to Japan in 1854.

Perry returned in February 1854 with twice as many ships, finding that the delegates had prepared a treaty embodying virtually all the demands in Fillmore's letter. Perry signed the Convention of Kanagawa on March 31, 1854 and departed, mistakenly believing the agreement had been made with imperial representatives. On March 31, 1854, the or was concluded between Commodore Matthew Perry of the U Events 307 - After divorcing his wife Minervina, Constantine marries Fausta, the daughter of the retired Roman Emperor Year 1854 ( MDCCCLIV) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar (or a Common year The of Japan is the country's Monarch. He is the head of the Japanese Imperial Family. ^[11]

In his way to Japan, Perry anchored off of Keelung in Formosa (modern day Taiwan), for ten days. Keelung City (also Jilong or Chilung) ( is a major port city situated in the northeastern part of Taiwan. Taiwan ( Taiwanese: Tâi-oân/Tāi-oân (historically 大灣/台員/大員/台圓/大圓/台窩灣 is an Island in East Asia. Perry and crew members landed on Formosa and investigated the potential of mining the coal deposits in that area. Taiwan ( Taiwanese: Tâi-oân/Tāi-oân (historically 大灣/台員/大員/台圓/大圓/台窩灣 is an Island in East Asia. He emphasized in his reports that Formosa provided a convenient mid-way trade location. Formosa was also very defensible. It could serve as a base for exploration like Cuba had done for the Spanish in the Americas. The Republic of Cuba (ˈkjuːbə or) consists of the island of Cuba (the largest and second-most populous island of the Greater Antilles) Isla de la Occupying Formosa could help the US to counter European monopolization of the major trade routes. In Economics, a monopoly (from Greek monos, alone or single + polein, to sell exists when a specific individual or enterprise has sufficient The United States government did not respond to Perry's proposal to claim sovereignty over Formosa. ^[12]

Return to the United States, 1855

Bust of Matthew Perry in Shimoda, Shizuoka. is a city and port in Shizuoka, Japan, which played an important part in the opening of Japan to the outside world in the 1850s

When Perry returned to the United States in 1855, Congress voted to grant him a reward of $20,000 in appreciation of his work in Japan. The United States Congress is the bicameral Legislature of the federal government of the United States of America, consisting of two houses Perry used part of this money to prepare and publish a report on the expedition in three volumes, titled Narrative of the Expedition of an American Squadron to the China Seas and Japan. The China Seas consists of the seas of the Western Pacific Ocean Yellow Sea East China Sea South China Sea He was also advanced to the grade of rear-admiral on the retired list (when his health began to fail) as a reward for his services in the Far East. ^[13]

Last years

A map of Coal Mines distribution on Formosa Island in the Narrative of the Commodore Matthew Calbraith Perry's Expedition to Japan.

Perry died on March 4, 1858 in New York City, of liver cirrhosis due to alcoholism. Events 51 - Nero, later to become Roman Emperor, is given the title Princeps iuventutis (head of the youth Year 1858 ( MDCCCLVIII) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar (or a Common The City of New York Cirrhosis is a consequence of chronic Liver Disease characterized by replacement of liver tissue by fibrous Scar tissue as well as regenerative Alcoholism is a term with multiple and sometimes conflicting definitions His remains were moved to the Island Cemetery in Newport, Rhode Island on March 21, 1866, along with those of his daughter, Anna, who died in 1839. Common Burying Ground and Island Cemetery on Farewell and Warner Street in Newport Rhode Island was founded in 1640 and contains over 5000 graves including a colonial Newport is a city on Aquidneck Island in Newport County, Rhode Island, United States, about 30 miles (48 km south of Providence Events 630 - Byzantine emperor Heraclius restores the True Cross to Jerusalem. Year 1866 ( MDCCCLXVI) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common

Family

• His mother was a descendent of Scotland's hero William Wallace
• His brother was Commodore Oliver Hazard Perry. Sir William Wallace ( Scottish Gaelic: Uilleam Uallas; c 1272 – 23 August 1305 was a Scottish Knight, Landowner, and Patriot Commodore Oliver Hazard Perry (August 20 1785 &ndash August 23 1819 was an officer in the United States Navy.
• His wife Jane Slidell was sister of John Slidell and aunt of Alexander Slidell MacKenzie. John Slidell (1793 &ndash July 26, 1871) was an American politician lawyer and businessman Alexander Slidell Mackenzie (1803-1848 was a US Navy officer who served during the first half of the 19th century
• His sister Anna Maria married Commodore George Washington Rodgers. Their son Rear Admiral Christopher Raymond Perry Rodgers married Julia Slidell. Christopher Raymond Perry Rodgers ( 4 November 1819 &ndash 8 January 1892) was an officer in the United States Navy. Raymond and Julia Slidell were the parents of Rear Admirials Thomas Slidell Rodgers and Raymond Perry Rodgers. Raymond Perry Rodgers was married to Gertrude Stuyvesant-who was descended from the Livingston family of New York. Robert Livingston the Elder ( December 13, 1654 – October 1, 1728) was a New York colonial official and first lord of George Washington Rodgers was the brother of Commodore John Rodgers, an officer in the War of 1812 who was the father-in-law of Union General Montgomery C. Meigs and grandfather of Lt. The War of 1812 was fought between the United States of America and the British Empire, particularly Great Britain and her North American colonies Montgomery Cunningham Meigs (ˈmɛɡz ( May 3, 1816 &ndash January 2, 1892) was a career United States Army officer civil engineer John Rodgers Meigs. John Rodgers Meigs ( February 9, 1841 &ndash October 3, 1864) was an officer in the Union Army during the American Civil War General Meigs was the great-grandson of Colonel Return J. Meigs, Sr. , who was the father of Return J. Meigs, Governor of Ohio. Return J Meigs is the name of Return J Meigs Sr (1740&ndash1823 American Revolutionary War officer federal Indian agent Return J
• A daughter, Caroline Slidell, married August Belmont, a 19th century banker/businessman. August Belmont Sr ( December 8 1813 - November 24 1890) was born in Alzey, Hesse, to a Jewish family
• A granddaughter married Joseph Grew, Ambassador to Japan. Joseph Clark Grew ( May 27, 1880 – May 25, 1965) was the US
• A great-granddaugther married Jay Pierrepont Moffat, Ambassador to Canada. Jay Pierrepont Moffat ( 7 January 1896 &mdash January 25, 1943) was a notable American Diplomat, Historian and
• A great-grandson was aviation pioneer Cal Rodgers. Calbraith Perry Rodgers ( January 12, 1879 &ndash April 3, 1912) was a pioneer American aviator who was the first civilian to purchase
• A great-grandson was John Rodgers (naval officer, World War I), who was also a great grandson of Commodore John Rodgers. John Rodgers ( 15 January 1881 &ndash 27 August 1926) was an officer in the United States Navy and an early Aviator. John Rodgers ( July 11, 1772 - August 1, 1838) was an American naval officer who served in the United States Navy from its organization
• Great-Great-Great-Grandson, Kyle Damron, was the runner-up for the 2006 Ohio Geographic Bee.

A diplomatic note

31 Star US Flag

Among other mementos, Perry presented Queen Victoria with a breeding pair of Japanese Chin dogs, previously owned only by Japanese nobility. Victoria (Alexandrina Victoria 24 May 1819 – 22 January 1901 was from 20 June 1837 the Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland

Perry's flag

A replica of Perry's US flag is on display on board the USS Missouri (BB-63) memorial in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. Construction See also Iowa class battleship, Armament of the Iowa class battleship Missouri was one of the ''Iowa''-class " Pearl Harbor is a Harbor on the Island of O{{okina}}ahu, Hawaii, west of Honolulu. The State of Hawaii ( or həˈwaɪʔiː Hawaiian: Mokuāina o Hawaii) is a state in the United States located on an Archipelago in the It is attached to the bulkhead just inboard of the Japanese surrender signing site on the port side of the ship. A bulkhead is an upright wall within the hull of a Ship. Other kinds of partition elements within a ship are decks and Deckheads Etymology The Japanese Instrument of Surrender was the written agreement that established the Armistice ending the Pacific War and with it World War II. Port is the nautical term (used on Boats and Ships) that refers to the left side of a ship as perceived by a person on board the ship and The original flag was brought to Japan for the Japan surrender ceremony and was displayed on that occasion at the request of Douglas MacArthur, who was himself a blood-relative of Perry. MacArthur had perhaps seen himself as a second benign "opener" of Japan. Some sources insist the flag was flown from the Missouri's masthead. This seems mistaken. Photos of the surrender ceremony clearly show the flag in a frame and mounted on the bulkhead behind the surrender participants. The flag had been kept at the United States Naval Academy. (see World War II: A Compact History By Richard Ernest Dupuy)

The pattern for the Union Canton on this flag is different from the standard 31 star flag in use. Perry's flag had rows of six stars save the last row which had seven stars. Thus Perry's US flag is unique.

Memorials

• There is a Perry Park in Kurihama which has a monolith monument (dedicated July 14, 1901) to the landing of Perry's forces. A monolith is a geological feature such as a Mountain, consisting of a single massive stone or rock or a single piece of rock placed as or within a monument A monument is a structure either explicitly created to commemorate a person or important event or which has become important to a social group as a part of their remembrance of past ^[14] Within the park there is a small museum dedicated to the events of 1854. A museum is a "permanent institution in the service of society and of its development open to the public which acquires conserves researches communicates and exhibits the Admission is free, and the museum is open from 10 a. m. to 4 p. m. , seven days a week.
• Matthew C. Perry Elementary School can be found on Marine Corps Air Station, Iwakuni, Japan.
• The US Navy's Perry class frigates (purchased in the 1970s and 1980s) were named after Perry's brother, Commodore Oliver Hazard Perry. Ships The ships were designed by Maine shipyard Bath Iron Works in partnership with New York-based naval architects Gibbs & Cox. Commodore Oliver Hazard Perry (August 20 1785 &ndash August 23 1819 was an officer in the United States Navy.

Fictional depictions

Japanese woodblock print of Perry (centre) and other high-ranking American seamen.

• The story of the opening of Japan was the basis of Stephen Sondheim & John Weidman's Pacific Overtures. Stephen Joshua Sondheim (born March 22 1930 is an American musical and film composer and lyricist winner of an Academy Award, multiple Tony Awards (seven John Weidman (born September 25 1946 is an American librettist. Pacific Overtures is a 1976 musical with music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim, a libretto by John Weidman, and additional material by
• Actor Richard Boone played Commodore Perry in the highly fictionalized 1981 film The Bushido Blade. Richard Allen Boone ( June 18 1917 &ndash January 10 1981) was an American Actor who starred in over 50 films and was notable The Bushido Blade is a 1981 film directed by Shusei Kotani, about a Samurai Sword being entrusted to Commodore Matthew
• The coming of Commodore Perry's ships was indirectly part of a plot in one of the arc's of the anime series Rurouni Kenshin, and in the first episode of Hikaru no Go. (anime in Japanese, is a Japanese Manga series written and illustrated by Nobuhiro Watsuki. is a popular Japanese Manga and Anime Coming of age story based on the Board game Go written by Yumi Hotta and illustrated Another anime series in which Perry briefly appears is Bokusatsu Tenshi Dokuro-chan. is a fiction series written by Masaki Okayu and illustrated by Torishimo The manga Fruits Basket also refers to the event while the main character is studying. ˈmɑŋgə is the Japanese word for Comics (sometimes called komikku コミック and print Cartoons In their modern form manga date from shortly sometimes abbreviated, is a Japanese Manga series by Natsuki Takaya. The anime Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei also depicts Commodore Perry as a "troubled foreigner who isn't satisfied by opening ports and needs to open everything". is a Japanese Manga by Kōji Kumeta, serialized in Weekly Shōnen Magazine.
• The anime series, Samurai Champloo, in an episode entitled "Baseball Blues", depicts a fictional character named 'Admiral Joy Cartwright' who challenges the Japanese locals to a baseball (Yakyū) game in order to establish trade relations. (anime in Japanese, is a Japanese animated television series consisting of twenty-six episodes The sport of Baseball was introduced to Japan in 1872 by Horace Wilson, and the first formal team was established in 1878 The character is named after Alexander Joy Cartwright ("the father of baseball") and obviously modeled after Commodore Perry. Alexander Cartwright II ( April 17 1820 – July 12 1892) was officially credited by the United States Congress on
• Perry's visit is also mentioned in the 1965 Hideo Gosha film Sword of the Beast. was a Japanese Film director. Among his most famous films are Goyokin and Hitokiri, released in 1969 and The Wolves is a 1965 Jidaigeki film co-written and directed by Hideo Gosha.
• The faster-than-light spaceship in the novel Homeward Bound is named Commodore Perry. The Novel Homeward Bound is a Science fiction alternate history.

Note

References

• Cullen, L. M. (2003). A History of Japan, 1582-1941: Internal and External Worlds. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Cambridge University Press (known colloquially as CUP is a Publisher given a Royal Charter by Henry VIII in 1534 ISBN 0-521-82115-X (cloth) ISBN 0-521-529918-2 (paper)
• Griffis, William Elliot. (1887). Matthew Calbraith Perry: A Typical American Naval Officer. Boston: Cupples and Hurd.
• Hawks, Francis. (1856). Narrative of the Expedition of an American Squadron to the China Seas and Japan Performed in the Years 1852, 1853 and 1854 under the Command of Commodore M. C. Perry, United States Navy, Washington: A. O. P. Nicholson by order of Congress, 1856; originally published in Senate Executive Documents, No. 34 of 33rd Congress, 2nd Session. [reprinted by London: Trafalgar Square, 2005. ISBN 1-8458-8026-9 (paper)]
• Sewall, John S. (1905). The Logbook of the Captain's Clerk: Adventures in the China Seas, Bangor, Maine: Chas H. Glass & Co. [reprint by Chicago: R. R. Donnelly & Sons, 1995] ISBN 0-5482-0912-X

See also

• History of Japan
• Meiji Restoration
• Yokohama Archives of History
• Gunboat diplomacy

External links

• A short timeline of Perry's life