Wednesday, December 5, 2007

-The Meiji Restoration of Japan-

Japan, is an archipelago due to the fact that it's made up of many islands. Before 1853, Japan was a country of isolation. This meant that Japan had no contact or tried to make any contact with other countries outside of Japan. They believed that they were superior to any other race in the world. What they did not know was that they were behind everyone in technology. It took over two decade for Japan to finally stop the isolation of their country.
In 1853, the U.S. and Japan finally signed a trading treaty. It wasn't easy at the begining. Matthew Perry took steamships to Japan in order for the Japanese to open their ports for trading. The Japanese were shocked of the technology that the Americans had. They were shocked to see that the Americans had technology such as steam to power their ships. They were also shocked to see the rifles and cannons that the Americans had. The U.S. believed that the Japanese ports would be great for American ships to stop and reload in food, water, and coal.
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