Commodore Perry & The Black Ships

[jskirwin@yahoo.com]

While surfing I came across this link:
http://www.colorado.edu/iec/SUMMER00RW/perry.htm

It's a term paper with a few sources which describes the initial contact between Commodore Perry and the Japanese. Overall it's not bad (I'd give it an A).

Didn't Perry shell Yokohama while waiting for the Japanese to sign a treaty with the US?

Just wondering...

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The Buddha is a gyoza. If you find the Buddha, eat him.

[Warmaker]

All I know is that Perry shelled the Japanese and forced them to allow foreign ships to use Japanese ports.

Just an example of how isolationism can hurt real bad... You can't keep the world away, since it will come knocking (or kicking) on your door sooner or later...

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There's no such thing as overkill, just ensured victory!

[Koga No Goshi]

Quote Originally posted by Warmaker:
All I know is that Perry shelled the Japanese and forced them to allow foreign ships to use Japanese ports.

Just an example of how isolationism can hurt real bad... You can't keep the world away, since it will come knocking (or kicking) on your door sooner or later...

[/QUOTE]


We say that as if it's the fault of the guy who got beaten up when we go around (as modern nation-states) beating people up when we don't get our way, but then when runners-up try to beef up defenses against this sort of gunboat diplomacy we call it an aggressive arms buildup... ya can't win.




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Koga no Goshi

"Nandai"
Since time began
the dead alone know peace.
Life is but melting snow.

[Anssi Hakkinen]

I seem to remember they didn't actually bombard the city, just fired "warning shots" with rifles and cannon and stuff like that. Perry's use of intimidation has always struck me more as psychological than physical.

But I could be wrong...

[jskirwin@yahoo.com]

According to the term paper, which used an article by James Fallows from the Smithsonian magazine in 1994, Perry wasn't a bad guy. He was a bit of a "multi-culturalist" of his time, having ferried ex-slaves to Liberia and done considerable research about the Japanese before setting off on the mission. While there he was careful to follow Japanese protocol, but only from a position of strength. For example, his subordinates and crew came ashore heavily armed until after the treaty was concluded and both sides were celebrating.

She made no mention of the shelling, and that's one thing that stands out from my Japanese history courses on that era.

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The Buddha is a gyoza. If you find the Buddha, eat him.