Matthew Perry and the Treaty of Kanagawa
The Opening of Japan Produced Long Term Consequences
One of President Millard Fillmore’s actions was to send Commodore Matthew Perry and a squadron of warships to Japan in order to open that nation to trade. Perry’s efforts resulted in the 1854 Treaty of Kanagawa. Although the treaty did not address commercial issues, it paved the way toward diplomatic efforts that, under the first American consul in Japan, would end in on-going trade between both countries. At the same time, the Treaty of Kanagawa helped replace the Shogun with a new dynasty intent on modernizing Japan.
Commodore Perry Opens Japan
On July 8, 1853, Perry’s squadron, led by his flagship the USS Susquehanna, arrived off the coast of Japan. The Japanese had never seen steam powered boats and both marveled and feared the sight of these large vessels spewing black smoke from their stacks. Perry’s voyage began in Hong Kong and then continued on to Okinawa before arriving in Japan.
Although Perry wanted to demonstrate a show of force, his demeanor toward the Shogun’s envoys was noticeably polite. Along with the demonstration of strict discipline and the belief that Perry was acting with sincerity, the Japanese leaders respected genuine politeness. Perry had studied Oriental culture before undertaking the voyage.
Many Japanese prepared for war and a vocal faction of the leadership counseled against any agreements with the Americans or, for that matter, any western power. These detractors would, several years later, overthrow the Shogun and replace him with the Meiji Dynasty.
Commodore Perry, amidst great fanfare and pageantry, delivered the letter from the President and promised to return in the spring, allowing the Japanese time to consider the American requests and proposals. Two weeks after Perry’s visit, an Imperial Russian delegation arrived, sent by Tsar Nicholas I. No doubt this visit further impressed the Japanese and influenced their decisions in the next year.
The Treaty of Kanagawa
Perry returned in January, landing at Yokohoma. After weeks of discussion, the Treaty of Kanagawa was concluded, yet none of its twelve articles addressed commercial issues. The treaty gave Americans the right to stop at certain ports, but strictly for refueling and to purchase supplies. Also addressed were protocols for the treatment of sailors aboard wrecked vessels. Contrasting the Dutch and Chinese experience at Nagasaki, Americans would enjoy fewer limitations in the ports agreed upon.
Article XI stipulated the establishment of diplomatic relations between Japan and the United States. Following the ratification of the treaty by the US Senate, Townsend Harris was sent to Japan as the first American consul. It was Harris who eventually concluded the first commercial treaty. The Treaty of Kanagawa was dated March 31, 1854.
Results of the Treaty of Kanagawa
Historian Iris Chang, a keen observer of the Asian mentality, writes that Perry’s audacious opening of Japan had both the effect of humiliation and challenge. Kanagawa and subsequent treaties galvanized the Japanese into creating a modern nation-state that would be equal to or better than their western counterparts.
Further, this modernization would be coupled with hyper-nationalism that emphasized a highly disciplined militaristic orientation. Unlike other Asian populations confronted by western imperialism and in many cases enduring conquest, Japan, once opened, forged an independent path by rapidly becoming a power broker in Asian affairs.
Sources:
- Text of the Treaty of Kanagawa
- Iris Chang, The Rape of Nanking (Basic Books, 1997)
- Page Smith, The Nation Comes of Age: A People’s History of the Ante-Bellum Years (McGraw-Hill Book Company, 1981)
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