Commodore Matthew C. Perry

Commodore Matthew C. Perry was a pivotal figure in United States Navy history, best known for commanding the expedition that forced the opening of Japan to the West in the 1850s. A veteran of the War of 1812 and the Mexican–American War, he was a leading advocate for modernization and the application of steam power in the U.S. Navy. His diplomatic and military actions in East Asia fundamentally altered the course of Japanese history and cemented American influence in the Pacific Ocean.

Early life and naval career

Born in Newport, Rhode Island, into a prominent naval family, he was the younger brother of War of 1812 hero Oliver Hazard Perry. He entered the United States Navy as a midshipman in 1809, serving under his brother on the USS ''Revenge''. During the War of 1812, he served on the USS ''United States'' under Stephen Decatur and participated in the capture of the HMS Macedonian. A strong proponent of naval education, he helped develop the curriculum for the United States Naval Academy and was an early champion for the construction of steam-powered warships, earning the nickname "The Father of the Steam Navy." He commanded the USS ''Fulton'', the Navy's second steam frigate, and later served as commander of the Mosquito Fleet during the Mexican–American War, supporting Winfield Scott's landing at Veracruz.

Perry Expedition and the opening of Japan

In 1852, President Millard Fillmore placed him in command of the East India Squadron with orders to secure a treaty opening the isolationist nation of Japan. After extensive preparation, his squadron, including the steam frigates USS ''Mississippi'' and USS ''Susquehanna'', arrived in Edo Bay in July 1853. He presented representatives of the Tokugawa shogunate with President Fillmore's letter demanding the opening of ports, using a display of naval might to underscore the seriousness of the American demands. He returned in February 1854 with a larger fleet, which included the USS ''Powhatan'', and after weeks of negotiation at Yokohama, concluded the landmark Convention of Kanagawa on March 31, 1854. This treaty opened the ports of Shimoda and Hakodate to American vessels, ensured the safety of shipwrecked sailors, and established a permanent U.S. consul, effectively ending Japan's over 200-year policy of Sakoku.

Later service and legacy

Following the success of the Perry Expedition, he was hailed as a national hero and received a monetary reward from the United States Congress. He documented the expedition in his influential three-volume work, Narrative of the Expedition of an American Squadron to the China Seas and Japan. His mission directly precipitated the end of the Tokugawa shogunate, the Meiji Restoration, and Japan's rapid modernization. The event is commemorated in Japanese art, such as the famous ukiyo-e prints of the "Black Ships." His actions established a lasting American diplomatic and commercial presence in East Asia and are considered a foundational moment in the era of gunboat diplomacy.

Personal life and death

He married Jane Slidell in 1814, with whom he had ten children. His wife was the sister of John Slidell, a prominent politician and diplomat involved in the Trent Affair. His son, Oliver Hazard Perry II, also served in the U.S. Navy. After a career of over four decades, he suffered from rheumatism and arthritis, complications of which led to his death from cirrhosis in New York City in 1858. He was initially interred in New York but was later moved to the Perry Monument in the Island Cemetery in his birthplace of Newport, Rhode Island.

Category:1794 births Category:1858 deaths Category:United States Navy officers Category:American military personnel of the Mexican–American War Category:American military personnel of the War of 1812