Contact with the Dutch gave Japan access to European scientific knowledge and literature. By the mid- nineteenth century, increasing trade demands in the Pacific made it impossible for Japan to maintain its isolation from foreign powers. Black ships In the 1830s and 1840s, western countries tried to contact Japan, but the sh̄ogunate rejected them. In 1853, Commodore Matthew Perry of the US Navy sailed into Edo harbor with four warships, wanting to open trade. He threatened military action if Japan refused. Japan built stronger forts around Edo, fearing more ‘black ships’. In 1854, Perry returned with more ships, and Japan agreed to the US demands, drafting a treaty .
SOURCE2 Commodore Matthew Perry threatened military action by sea
Did you know? The island of Dejima was created in 1634 by cutting a canal across a narrow isthmus connecting a small peninsula to the mainland. The resulting island was then linked to the mainland by a bridge, which was guarded day and night to prevent any unauthorised crossing. Unequal treaties In 1854, the Treaty of Kanagawa with the United States opened two ports for North American trade and ensured good treatment for shipwrecked US sailors. By 1858, Japan was pressured into another treaty, opening more ports and allowing North Americans to live and work in Japan. It also imposed low tariffs on imported goods. Soon, similar treaties were forced upon Japan by Russia, France and Britain. The Nagasaki Naval Training Centre In response to the growing foreign threat, the sh̄ogunate established a naval training centre near Dejima Island in 1855. Dutch Navy instructors were hired to teach the latest marine technology and naval organisation. Steam-driven warships were acquired, laying the foundation for a modern Japanese navy.
246 Jacaranda Humanities Alive 8 Victorian Curriculum Third Edition
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