Matthew Calbraith Perry (10 April 1794-4 March 1858) was a Commodore of the US Navy and served in a number of wars such as the War of 1812 and the Mexican-American War. His most famous feat was the opening of Japan in 1853 in the Treaty of Amity and Peace, and he was later called the "Father of the Steam Navy".
Biography[]
Matthew was the younger brother of the famous Oliver Hazard Perry, a War of 1812 hero, and was a native of Newport, Rhode Island. In May 1809 he was commissioned as a Midshipman in the US Navy and he fought under his brother's command at the Battle of Lake Erie during the 1812 war with Great Britain. After the war he served in the Second Barbary War, and was later offered a commission in the Imperial Russian Navy while in port in Russia, but refused.
Perry speaking with the Shogun
When David Conner resigned command of the Home Squadron in 1845, Perry became the new Commodore and fought in the Mexican-American War. Perry captured the Mexican city of Frontera, demonstrated against Tabasco and took part in the capture of Tampico (November 14, 1846). He had to return to Norfolk, Virginia to make repairs and was still there when the amphibious landings at Veracruz took place. His return to the U.S. gave his superiors the chance to finally give him orders to succeed Commodore Connor in command of the Home Squadron. Perry returned to the fleet during the siege of Veracruz and his ship supported the siege from the sea. After the fall of Veracruz Winfield Scott moved inland and Perry moved against the remaining Mexican port cities. Perry assembled the Mosquito Fleet and captured Tuxpan in April, 1847. In July 1847 he attacked Tabasco personally, leading a 1,173-man landing force ashore and attacking the city of San Juan Bautista (Villahermosa) from land.
Signing of the Treaty of Peace and Amity in 1854
In 1849, Captain James Glynn recommended to Congress that a show of the force of the US Navy could open the gates of Japan to trade with foreigners besides the Dutch and Chinese, so Perry was sent with a flotilla to threaten the Japanese. In 1853-54 he gained the rights to a trade agreement, opening Japan to trade with other European countries. In 1855 he was given $20,000 (worth $501,000 today) as a reward and he was made a Rear-Admiral.
However, at the end of his career he suffered from arthritis and he died of a rheumatism caused by gout and alcoholism in The Bowery at the age of 63 in 1858.
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