Did Perry's Black Ships attack Edo harbour during his expedition to Japan?

score:7

Accepted answer

None of the contemporary accounts I have read, such as that of Francis L. Hawks (1861), which is more or less the official account of the missions, make any mention of an attack of any kind. In the Hawks narrative the embassy is presented as entirely peaceful.

Also, the text of the letter which Millard Fillmore gave to Perry for delivery to the Emperor specifically says that he had ordered Perry not to do anything "which would disturb the peace of Japan".

There is a book written by an eye witness, John Smith Sewall. "The Logbook of the Captain's Clerk" published in 1905. Sewall was the clerk to the Captain of one of the escorts of the expedition. Nowhere in this book does he mention any shots or "blanks" fired and he represents the embassy as peaceful except for three shells fired by the Japanese which exploded harmlessly behind them when they first arrived. These shots by the Japanese are also mentioned in the Hawks narrative.

Upvote:5

Not being a native speaker of English, my interpretation might not be correct, but this is a quote from "Narrative of the expedition of an American Squadron to the China Seas and Japan";

"The Japanese officials took especial interest, on the occasion of their frequent visits to the ships in the inspection of the armament, and were often gratified with the exercise of the guns, the filling of the shells, and other matters of military discipline and practice. Though, in their later history a pacific people, the Japanese, as we have already said, are fond of military display, and seemed particularly desirous of scrutinizing all the warlike appointments which made their visitors so formidable; as if they felt the necessity, in the new relations which were opening with foreigners, of studying and adopting the best means of attack and defence, should either ever become necessary by any future collision with the great powers of the west. With proper training, no people would make better soldiers. Every opportunity was afforded them, without restriction, of satisfying their curiosity, which was naturally directed towards those points in which they were conscious of their greatest weakness; and this liberality of the Americans, in the free exposition of their power, deeply impressed the Japanese with a conviction of the pacific intentions of their visitors, who desired to show that they looked to a friendly intercourse, and not to a violent invasion, for those mutual benefits which were to accrue from more intimate relations between the United States and Japan."

The bold is mine. Could this not be interpreted, by Japanese speakers, as the guns being fired for demonstration? This from their visit in Hakodate, similar demonstrations most likely occurred in Edo bay, but I don't have the time or resources to llok for that right now. The above quote is from page 470 and forward in volume one.

More post

Search Posts

Related post