MATTHEW PERRY

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MATTHEW PERRY
BY LAWRENCE TALAMANTEZ Vincent Korslund
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BIO

• Perry was born on April 10, 1794, in Newport,
  Rhode Island. In 1809, he entered the Navy as a
  midshipman. He first served on the Revenge. This
  ship was commanded by Oliver Hazard Perry,
  Matthew's brother. Matthew fought and was wounded
  in the War of 1812. He served as executive
  officer on the Cyane. In 1820, the Cyane carried
  freed slaves to Africa in order to help establish
  a colony. The colony later became Liberia.

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• (1794-1858), Matthew Perry was a famous United
  States naval officer, best known for opening
  Japan to Western trade and diplomacy. Japan had
  virtually isolated itself from Western countries
  since the early 1600's. It had resisted,
  sometimes by force, attempts by Americans and
  Europeans to establish business and diplomatic
  ties. In 1854, Perry negotiated a treaty between
  Japan and the United States. This was Japan's
  first modern treaty with a Western nation and
  marked the beginning of Japan's development into
  a major world power.

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• On July 8, 1853, Perry sailed into a hostile
  Japan with four warships. He headed a U.S.
  mission to begin diplomatic and trade relations
  with Japan and to ensure the safety of Americans
  shipwrecked in Japan. Perry impressed the
  Japanese with a show of dignified strength. He
  presented Japanese officials with a letter from
  U.S. President Millard Fillmore to the emperor
  proposing peace and friendship. On March 31,
  1854, Japan entered into a treaty of peace,
  friendship, and trade with the United States.
  Perry wrote a record of the expedition, Narrative
  of the Expedition of an American Squadron to the
  China Seas and Japan. It was published in 1856

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• Perry became a captain in 1837 and later took
  command of the Fulton II, one of the first naval
  steamships. He became deeply involved in the
  development of the United States Naval Academy at
  Annapolis, Maryland. In 1839 and 1840, he
  directed the first school of naval gunnery, on
  board the Fulton II.
• In 1843, Perry commanded the African Squadron.
  This squadron was set up to protect the expanding
  American settlements in Liberia and to help
  suppress the slave trade. In the Mexican War
  (1846-1848), Perry commanded the squadron that
  helped General Winfield Scott seize Veracruz,
  Mexico. Perry died on March 4, 1858.

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WHY?

• Because the western trade needed to be open with
  China for transporting and importing.