Primary Source Document

with Questions (DBQs)

LETTERS FROM U.S. PRESIDENT MILLARD FILLMORE AND U.S.

NAVY COMMODORE MATTHEW C. PERRY TO THE EMPEROR OF

JAPAN (1852- 1853)

Fillmore (1800-1874) in command of four warships, including two steam frigates. The squadron arrived in Uraga

harbor, near the Tokugawa capital of Edo, on July 8, 1853. As expressed in the following letter from President

Fillmore to the Japanese Emperor, delivered by Perry to the worried Tokugawa officials who greeted him, the United

States was eager to break Japan’s “seclusion policy,” sign diplomatic and commercial treaties, and thus “open” the

nation to the Western world. For the Japanese, who had carefully regulated overseas contacts since the seventeenth

century and whose technology could not compare to that displayed by the American squadron, Perry’s arrival and

President Fillmore’s letter were unwelcome and ominous, even if not entirely unexpected.

Commodore Perry stayed in Uraga for fewer than ten days in 1853, withdrawing to the China coast with his ships. As

he promised in his letter of July 14, 1853, however, he returned to Japan about six months later with a much larger

Letter from President Millard Fillmore and first letter from Commodore Matthew Perry from Narrative of the Expedition of an

American Squadron to China and Japan, performed in the years 1852,1853, and 1854, under the Command of Commodore M. C. Perry

United States Navy, by Order of the Government of the United States, compiled by Francis L. Hawks, vol. I (Washington, D.C., A.O.P.

Nicholson, Printer, 1856), 256-259. Second letter from Commodore Matthew Perry from Meiji Japan through Contemporary

Sources, Volume Two: 1844-1882, compiled and published by the Centre for East Asian Cultural Studies, c/o The Toyo Bunko,

Honkomagome 2-chome 28-21, Bunkyo-ku; Tokyo, 113 Japan. Reproduced with the permission of the publisher. All rights

reserved.

From%Millard%Fillmore,%President%of%the%United%States%of%America,%

I&have& directed&Commodore& Perry&to& assure&your& imperial&majesty& that&I& entertain&the&

kindest&feelings&towards&your&majesty’s&person&and&government,&and&that&I&have&no&other&object&

in& sending& him& to& Japan& but& to& propose& to& your& imperial& majesty& that& the& United& States& and&

Japan&should&live&in&friendship&and&have&commercial&intercourse&with&each&other.&

Primary Source Document with Questions (DBQs) on

LETTERS FROM U.S. PRESIDENT MILLARD FILLMORE AND

U.S. NAVY COMMODORE MATTHEW C. PERRY TO THE EMPEROR OF JAPAN (1852-1853)

Asia for Educators l Columbia University l http://afe.easia.columbia.edu Page 2 of 6

steamships&can&go&from&California&to&Japan&in&eighteen&days.&

Our&great&State&of&California&produces&about&sixty&millions&of&dollars&in&gold&every&year,&

besides&silver,&quicksilver,&precious&stones,&and&many& other&valuable&articles.&Japan&is&also&a&rich&

and&fertile&country,&and&produces&many&very&valuable&articles.&Your&imperial&majesty’s&subjects&

are& skilled& in& many& of& the& arts.& I& am& desirous& that& our& two& countries& should& trade& with& each&

other,&for&the&benefit&both&of&Japan&and&the&United&States.&

We&know&that&the&ancient&laws&of&your&imperial&majesty’s&government&do&not&allow&of&

foreign&trade,&except&with&the&Chinese&and&the&Dutch;&but&as&the&state&of&the&world&changes&and&

new&governments&are&formed,&it&seems&to&be&wise,&from&time&to&time,&to&make&new&laws.&There&

was&a&time&when&the&ancient&laws&of&your&imperial&majesty’s&government&were&first&made.&

ancient&laws&which&forbid&foreign&trade,&they&might&be&suspended&for&five&or&ten&years,&so&as&to&

try& the& experiment.& If& it& does& not& prove& as& beneficial& as& was& hoped,& the& ancient& laws& can& be&

restored.&The&United&States&often&limit&their&treaties&with&foreign&states&to&a&few&years,&and&then&

renew&them&or&not,&as&they&please.&

I&have& directed& Commodore&Perry& to& mention&another& thing& to&your& imperial& majesty.&

Many&of&our&ships&pass&every&year&from&California&to&China;&and&great&numbers&of&our&people&

pursue&the& whale& fishery&near& the&shores& of&Japan.& It& sometimes&happens,& in&stormy& weather,&

that&one&of&our& ships&is&wrecked&on&your&imperial&majesty ’s&shores.&In&all&such&cases&we&ask,&and&

expect,& that& our& unfortunate& people& should& be& treated& with& kindness,& and& that& their& property&

should& be& protected,& till& we& can& send& a& vessel& and& bring& them& away.& We& are& very& much& in&

for& them& in& money,& or& anything& else& your& imperial& majesty’s& subjects& may& prefer;& and& we&

Primary Source Document with Questions (DBQs) on

LETTERS FROM U.S. PRESIDENT MILLARD FILLMORE AND

U.S. NAVY COMMODORE MATTHEW C. PERRY TO THE EMPEROR OF JAPAN (1852-1853)

Asia for Educators l Columbia University l http://afe.easia.columbia.edu Page 3 of 6

These& are& the& only& objects& for& which& I& have& sent& Commodore& Perry,& with& a& powerful&

squadron,&to&pay&a&visit&to&your&imperial&majesty’s&renowned&city&of&Edo:&friendship,&commerce,&

We&have&directed&Commodore&Perry&to&beg&your&imperial&majesty’s&acceptance&of&a&few&

presents.&They&are&of&no&great&value&in&themselves;&but&some&of&them&may&serve&as&specimens& of&

the&articles&manufactured&in&the&United&States,&and&they&are&intended&as&tokens&of&our&sincere&

and&respectful&friendship.&

May&the&Almighty&have&your&imperial&majesty&in&His&great&and&holy&keeping!&

In& witness& whereof,& I& have& caused& the& great& seal& of& the& United& States& to& be& hereunto&

affixed,&and&have&subscribed&the&same&with&my&name,&at&the&city&of&Washington,&in&America,&the&

seat& of& my& government,& on& the& thirteenth& day& of& the& month& of& November,& in& the& year& one&

thousand&eight&hundred&and&fifty‑two.&

Edward&Everett,&Secretary&of&State&

Primary Source Document with Questions (DBQs) on

LETTERS FROM U.S. PRESIDENT MILLARD FILLMORE AND

U.S. NAVY COMMODORE MATTHEW C. PERRY TO THE EMPEROR OF JAPAN (1852-1853)

Asia for Educators l Columbia University l http://afe.easia.columbia.edu Page 4 of 6

Off!the!Coast!of!Japan!

To&His&Imperial&Majesty,&the&Emperor&of&Japan,&

THE&undersigned,&commander‑in‑chief&of&all& the&naval&forces&of&the&United& States&of&America&

suited&to&the&exalted&station&of&your&imperial&majesty,&will&be&presented&by&the&undersigned&in&

person,&when&it&may&please&your&majesty&to&appoint&a&day&for&his&reception.&

The& undersigned& has& been& commanded& to& state& that& the& President& entertains& the& most&

friendly&feelings&towards&Japan,&but&has&been&surprised&and&grieved&to&learn&that&when&any&of&

the&people&of&the&United&States&go,&of&their&own&accord,&or&are&thrown&by&the&perils&of&the&sea,&

within&the& dominations&of& your& imperial&majesty,& they&are& treated&as& if&they& were&your& worst&

enemies.&

Lawrence.&

With&the&Americans,&as&indeed&with&all&Christian&people,&it&is&considered&a&sacred&duty&

to&receive&with&kindness,&and&to&succour&and&protect&all,&of&whatever&nation,&who&may&be&cast&

upon&their&shores,&and&such&has&been&the&course&of&the&Americans&with&respect&to&all&Japanese&

subjects&who&have&fallen&under&their&protection.&

The&government&of&the&United&States&desires&to&obtain&from&that&of&Japan&some&positive&

assurance&that&persons&who&may&hereafter&be&shipwrecked&on&the&coast&of&Japan,&or&driven&by&

stress&of&weather&into&her&ports,&shall&be&treated&with&humanity.&

The& undersigned& is& commanded& to& explain& to& the& Japanese& that& the& United& States& are&

connected&with&no&government&in&Europe,&and&that&their&laws&do&not&interfere&with&the&religion&

of&their&own&citizens,&much&less&with&that&of&other&nations.&

Primary Source Document with Questions (DBQs) on

LETTERS FROM U.S. PRESIDENT MILLARD FILLMORE AND

U.S. NAVY COMMODORE MATTHEW C. PERRY TO THE EMPEROR OF JAPAN (1852-1853)

Asia for Educators l Columbia University l http://afe.easia.columbia.edu Page 5 of 6

Therefore,&as&the&United&States&and&Japan&are&becoming&every&day&nearer&and&nearer&to&

each&other,&the&President&desires&to&live&in&peace&and&friendship&with&your&imperial&majesty,&but&

However&wise&this&policy&may&originally&have&been,&it&is&unwise&and&impracticable&now&

that&the&intercourse&between&the&two&countries&is&so&much&more&easy&and&rapid&than&it&formerly&

was.&

The& undersigned& holds& out& all& these& arguments& in& the& hope& that& the& Japanese&

government&will&see&the&necessity&of&averting&unfriendly&collision&between&the&two&nations,&by&

responding&favourably&to&the&propositions&of&amity,&which&are&now&made&in&all&sincerity.&

Many& of&the&large&ships‑of‑war&destined&to&visit&Japan&have&not&yet&arrived&in&these&seas,&

though&they&are&hourly&expected;&and&the&undersigned,&as&an&evidence&of&his&friendly& intentions,&

has&brought& but&four& of& the&smaller& ones,&designing,& should&it& become& necessary,& to& return&to&

Edo&in&the&ensuing&spring&with&a&much&larger&force.&

With& the& most& profound& respect& for& your& imperial& majesty,& and& entertaining& a& sincere&

hope&that&you&may&long&live&to&enjoy&health&and&happiness,&the&undersigned&subscribes&himself,&

&

M.&C.&Perry,&

Commander‑in‑chef!of!the!United!States!Naval!Forces!in!the!East!India,!China,!and!Japan!seas!

Primary Source Document with Questions (DBQs) on

LETTERS FROM U.S. PRESIDENT MILLARD FILLMORE AND

U.S. NAVY COMMODORE MATTHEW C. PERRY TO THE EMPEROR OF JAPAN (1852-1853)

Asia for Educators l Columbia University l http://afe.easia.columbia.edu Page 6 of 6

%

For&years&several&countries&have&applied&for&trade,&but&you&have&opposed&them&on&account&