Matt Mukake

 In 1853, the United States displayed its new military.  Sent a naval force to make Japan open its ports to trade.  Japan wanted to keep their 215 year seclusion, but its leaders thought it’d be best to learn from the west.

 After the Tokugawa shoguns gained power in 1600, they reimposed centralized feudalism, closed Japan to foreigners, and forbade Japan to travel overseas.  The nations only window on the world was through Nagasaki, where the Dutch were allowed very little trade.  By the 1800s, the shoguns were corrupt.

 Daimyo suffered financially.  Money was needed in a commercial economy, but a daimyo’s wealth was in land rather than cash.  Daimyo also had the heavy expense of maintaining households in both Edo and their own domains.

 While the shogun faced troubles at home, bad news reached him that Britain won the Opium War over China.  In July 1853, a fleet of American ships commanded by Commodore Matthew Perry sailed into Tokyo Bay.  Perry held a letter from the president of the United States demanding that Japan open its ports to diplomatic and commercial trade.

 Japan couldn’t defend themselves against the U.S. Navy.  In the Treaty of Kanagawa in 1854, the shogun agreed to open two Japanese ports to America but not for trade.  The U.S. soon won trading and other rights including the right of extraterritoriality and a “most favored nation” clause.

 Lasted from 1868 to 1912 and was a major turning point in Japanese history.  Meiji: enlightened rule.  The Meiji reformers were determined to strengthen Japan.  New leaders set out to study western ways and eventually beat them at their own game.

 Government:  Adapted to German style government.  In 1889, the emperor issued the Meiji Constitution.  It set forth the principle that all citizens were equal before the law.  Japan eventually developed a western-style bureaucracy with separate departments to supervise finance, the army, the navy, and education.

 Economic Reforms  Meiji leaders encouraged Japan’s business class to adopt western methods.  The government set up banking system, built railroads, improved ports, and organized a telegraph and postal system  Zaibatsu: Powerful banking and industrial families.

 Amazing Success:  During Meiji period, Japan modernized quickly.  Japan became a homogeneous society. ▪ It had a common culture and language that gave it a strong sense of identity.  The Japanese were determined to resist foreign rule.

 Japan Gains Power:  In 1894, competition between Japan and China led to the Sino-Japanese War.  China had better resources, but Japan had benefit from modernization.  Japan used the element of surprise and won the war easily.  Japan later challenges Russia in the Russo- Japanese War.

 Japans army defeated the Russian troops.  Their navy nearly destroyed an entire Russian fleet.  For the first time in modern history, an Asian power humbled a European nation.

 From the 1500s to 1700s, European merchants gained footholds on the region.  In the 1800s, the Dutch, British, and French colonized much of Southeast Asia.  Also in the 1800s, rulers of Burma(Myanmar) clashed with the British.  The Burmese suffered lost battles but still resisted British rule.  The British eventually annexed Burma in 1886.

 Kingdom of Siam:  Stuck between British-ruled Burma and French Indochina.  Present day Thailand.  King Mongkut was the king at the time.  Ruled from  He didn’t underestimate western power.  He modernized his army, abolished slavery, and gave women some choice in marriage.

 In the 1800s, the industrial powers began to take an interest in the islands of the Pacific.  American, French, and British whaling and sealing ships looked for bases to take on supplies.  In 1878, the U.S. secured an unequal treaty from Samoa.  Gaining rights such as extraterritoriality and a naval station.

 From the mid 1800s, American sugar growers pressed for power in Hawai’i.  This was when Queen Liliuokalani tried to reduce foreign influence.

 Canada’s first European ruler was the French.  Then France lost Canada to Britain in French settlers still remained.  After the American Revolution, an estimated 30,000 colonist stayed loyal to Britain and fled to Canada.  The Two Canada's  To ease ethnic tensions, Britain passed the Canada act in 1791.

 This created two provinces ▪ 1. English speaking upper Canada. ▪ 2. French speaking lower Canada.

 The Dutch were the first in Australia in the 1600s.  In 1770, Captain James Cook claimed Australia for Britain.  He also claimed New Zealand for Britain