US Trade with Japan

Context and Motivation

• Time Period: Summer of 1853
• Key Figure: Commodore Matthew Calbraith Perry, commanded by President Millard Fillmore, aimed to open Japan to US trade.
• Historical Situation: Japan had been isolated for over two centuries.
• Strategic Importance: Japan's location was crucial for American Pacific trade, serving as a potential coaling station for steamships traveling to China.

Previous Attempts

• Failed Expeditions:
  • 1815: Commodore David Porter's expedition proposal was denied.
  • 1837: Charles W. King attempted commercial relations, repelled by Japanese.
  • 1846: Commodore James Biddle's formal expedition failed.

Perry's Mission Strategy

• Goals:
  • Protect American shipwrecked sailors.
  • Allow American ships to refuel and provision in Japanese ports.
  • Establish trade relations between the two nations.
• Tactics:
  • Display of naval power with large steamships to intimidate.
  • Landed first in Okinawa as a rehearsal and show of power.
  • Strategic negotiations with top Japanese officials, not lower-level staff.

Negotiations

• Key Negotiators: Commodore Perry and Lord Abe Masahiro (Chief Senior Councilor)
• Challenges:
  • Japan's military was weak and politically divided.
  • Lord Abe's dilemma: risk war by refusal or face internal unrest by compliance.
• Outcomes:
  • Agreement to assist shipwrecked sailors and allow provisioning at two ports (Hokodate and Shimoda) but refused trade.
  • Led to Treaty of Kanagawa in 1854, signed by President Franklin Pierce.

Aftermath and Impact

• US-Japan Relations: Established formal diplomatic and initial trade relations.
• Japan:
  • Transitioned from isolation, leading to modernization and industrialization.
  • Political upheaval and strengthening of military post-Perry.
• Legacy:
  • Perry's visit initiated Japan's emergence as a global power.
  • Resulted in increased Japanese immigration to America.

Key Questions and Implications

1. Perry's Mission Success: Achieved initial opening; anticipated full trade establishment.
2. Japan's Response: Struggle to maintain sovereignty while adapting to international pressure.
3. Long-term Effects: Set stage for Japan's rise as a military and economic power.

Review Questions

• Objectives of Perry's mission accepted by Japan.
• Reasons for Japan's compliance with Perry's demands.
• Millard Fillmore's letter to the Japanese leader.
• Outcomes of Perry's visits to Japan.
• Interpretation of historical images reflecting diplomacy and Japan-US engagement.

Suggested Resources

• Feifer, G. Breaking Open Japan: Commodore Perry, Lord Abe, and American Imperialism in 1853
• Herring, G. C. From Colony to Superpower: U.S. Foreign Relations since 1776
• Morison, S. E. Old Bruin: Commodore Matthew Calbraith Perry, 1794-1858
• Schroeder, J. H. Matthew Calbraith Perry, Antebellum Sailor and Diplomat

These notes aim to encapsulate the key events, strategies, and outcomes of the US effort to open trade with Japan, focusing on Commodore Perry's significant role and the geopolitical impact of these actions in the mid-19th century.