Instructions
Guided Notes (complete using details from the reading and Podcast)
Background
Commodore Matthew Perry’s expedition to Japan in 1853 changed the course of the island’s history. Long into the nineteenth century Japan had been regarded by the growing group of Western nations as a hermit kingdom, known for its stubborn resistance to outsiders. Prior to Perry’s Expedition, it was connected to the Euro-centric world of trade and commerce only by a single Dutch outpost near Nagasaki that was visited by a single ship each year.
*** [About our format] ***
Throughout this period of isolation, Japan’s rich and intricate society had developed under the rule of the shoguns. But interference from outside powers was increasingly feared and anticipated. The crucial moment came in July 1853 when the United States government dispatched Commodore Perry on a speculative mission to forge relations.
“The most momentous event in Japanese history”
— Lesley Downer on Perry's arrival
In this episode of Travels Through Time, the writer and historian Lesley Downer takes us back to the moment that Perry’s fleet of ships sails into Edo Bay – modern-day Tokyo. She describes the meaningful coming together of two contrasting worlds: the confusion, the power play and the consequences, in three vivid scenes. The Japanese, as the American’s find out, know more much about the world than they anticipated.
- In your notebook, Title your first page of notes, Perry Expedition (1853)
- Use the Guided Notes to help you document what you are learning throughout this process
- Read the Background information below
- Listen/Watch the Interview with Lesley Downer about Commodore Perry's Expedition (1853) in Japan and complete your Guided Notes
Guided Notes (complete using details from the reading and Podcast)
- What was the Perry Expedition?
- What were the goals of the Perry Expedition?
- How did the people of Japan respond to these goals and events?
- What was the impact going forward for Japan and other nations in the area?
Background
Commodore Matthew Perry’s expedition to Japan in 1853 changed the course of the island’s history. Long into the nineteenth century Japan had been regarded by the growing group of Western nations as a hermit kingdom, known for its stubborn resistance to outsiders. Prior to Perry’s Expedition, it was connected to the Euro-centric world of trade and commerce only by a single Dutch outpost near Nagasaki that was visited by a single ship each year.
*** [About our format] ***
Throughout this period of isolation, Japan’s rich and intricate society had developed under the rule of the shoguns. But interference from outside powers was increasingly feared and anticipated. The crucial moment came in July 1853 when the United States government dispatched Commodore Perry on a speculative mission to forge relations.
“The most momentous event in Japanese history”
— Lesley Downer on Perry's arrival
In this episode of Travels Through Time, the writer and historian Lesley Downer takes us back to the moment that Perry’s fleet of ships sails into Edo Bay – modern-day Tokyo. She describes the meaningful coming together of two contrasting worlds: the confusion, the power play and the consequences, in three vivid scenes. The Japanese, as the American’s find out, know more much about the world than they anticipated.
Additional Resources (maybe the Podcast was not the best source for you to learn from, here are some other options)