Matthew Calbraith Perry was an American naval officer who commanded ships in several wars, including the War of 1812 and the Mexican–American War. He played a leading role in the Perry Expedition that ended Japan's isolationism and the Convention of Kanagawa between Japan and the United States in 1854.
Commodore Matthew C. PerryU.S. postage, 1953 issue
Perry attacked and took San Juan Bautista (Villahermosa today) in the Second Battle of Tabasco.
Perry's visit in 1854
Perry's fleet for his second visit to Japan, 1854
The Perry Expedition was a diplomatic and military expedition in two separate voyages to the Tokugawa shogunate by warships of the United States Navy. The goals of this expedition included exploration, surveying, and the establishment of diplomatic relations and negotiation of trade agreements with various nations of the region. Opening contact with the government of Japan was considered a top priority of the expedition, and was one of the key reasons for its inception.
An 1854 Japanese print depicting the expedition
Commodore Matthew Perry's Black Ship, from the Brooklyn Museum.
Odaiba battery at the entrance of Tokyo, built in 1853–54 to prevent an American incursion
A miniature steam locomotive which was presented by the expedition and exhibited to great acclaim.
