First published 2022
This official government report chronicles Commodore Matthew Perry's pivotal naval mission to Japan in the 1850s. Perry commanded American warships into Japanese waters, confronting a nation that had maintained complete isolation from foreign contact for two hundred years. Japanese authorities initially resisted the American intrusion, determined to uphold their long-standing policy of severing all external ties. Perry faced enormous pressure from American political leaders demanding tangible outcomes from the expedition. The commodore employed a calculated blend of naval intimidation and strategic negotiation tactics to overcome Japanese resistance. His approach ultimately forced Japanese negotiators to agree to a trade treaty that reopened their borders after generations of closure. This presidential report to Congress documents Perry's methods of using military threats alongside diplomatic maneuvering to achieve American objectives. The account reveals how Perry established America's expanding presence in Pacific regional politics while fundamentally altering Japan's relationship with the outside world.
Genres: historical, american, non-fiction, military-history, government, 19th-century, naval-history, american-history
Vibes: intimate, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: fish-out-of-water, historical-drama
Setting: Japan
Period: 19th-Century
202 pages · Paperback · Legare Street Press