"If treated with strict justice and gentle kindness…the Japanese will learn to consider us their friends"
I'd like to talk about Commodore Mattew C. Perry. He is a important person when you are talking about history between Japan and the United States. He was a first person who connected between the United States and Japan.
He was born in South Kingstown on 1794 April 10. He devoted all of his life to the expansion of the U.S. Navy. When he was 15 years old, he joined the U.S. Navy. His first important mission in 1819 was to transport freed slaves to Africa. He succeeded with his great personality. He had enough ability to impress foreign people. Because of this experience, he became a commodore in 1842.
In 1853, he was sent to a mission by President Millard Fillmore to establish trade with Japan. Japan had been isolated from the outside world since the 17th century. Japan didn't have any trade with foreign countries for over 2 hundreds years, except China, Korea, and the Netherlands. It seemed hard to open up such a country.
Before he went to japan, he studied about Japan very carefully. He read about 40 books related to Japan and met many people who might give some hints to him about the expedition to Japan. Moreover, he was thinking how to impress the Japanese by giving presents of the United States. In his book, he said, "If treated with strict justice and gentle kindness…the Japanese will learn to consider us their friends"
In July, 1853, he arrived at Uraga near Tokyo in Japan with 5 "KUROFUNE" which means "black ship" For Japanese people, this event was totally incredible thing. Japanese people had never seen such a huge ships with steamed engine. But Perry didn't use his 5 black ships as a power. Instead he showed his respect to Japan and its culture.
Then he asked Japanese government to have a commercial and friendship treaty between the United States and Japan. But this time, he couldn't get reply from Japanese government. It's a difficult time for Japanese government to reply his offer.
So, in 1854, he visited Japan again to get a reply from Japanese government. After long negotiation, finally, he signed the Treaty of Kanagawa, which opened up Japan. At this time, his mission was completed.
He died in New York on March 4, in 1858.
After this event, Japan had a hard time. There was a civil war. A lot of fights. So many people died. But anyway, Perry was a first person who connected between the United States and Japan.
Textbook (E.W.H.) page 490~497
http://www.colorado.edu/iec/SUMMER00RW/perry.htm
http://www.history.navy.mil/branches/teach/pearl/kanagawa/friends4.htm
http://www.herbaria.harvard.edu/Libraries/expinv/JAPAN.html
KUROFUNE
Governer of Japan
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