1. By: Austin Foley

2.  His 1 st time he went on a naval voyage he was 15  Achieved the rank of Lieutenant in 1813  Promoted to Captain in 1837  Reached the rank of Commodore in 1842

3.  Born April 10 th, 1794  Died March 4 th, 1854  He was the Commodore of the U.S. Navy  Commanded several naval ships  Played a leading role in the opening of Japan to the West in 1854  Served in the…  Mexican-American War  War of 1812

4.  He was given the title of “The Father of the Steam Navy” because of his role in the modernizing of the steam engine  He oversaw the construction of the 2 nd steam frigate (USS Fulton) and ended up commanding it afterword  Perry organized the 1 st Corps of Engineers

5.  In 1852 Perry left from Norfolk, Virginia upon arrival in Japan in 1853 he was confronted by several Japanese ships. After making port at Uraga Harbor the Tokugawa Shogunate informed him that he must proceed to Nagasaki.  Perry threatened the Japanese with his ships which were carrying some of the largest most powerful cannons at the time.  He wanted to present a letter from Millard Fillmore to the Japanese and if they declined he would shoot their ships out of the water.

6.  After the Japanese agreed to see the letter Perry made port and delivered to letter to the delegates  He left promising he would return with a reply  In 1854 he returned with twice as many ships  The delegates prepared a treaty that agreed to everything in Fillmore’s letter  Upon return to America he was welcomed with a reward of $20,000 dollars for his work

7.  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Matthew_C._Per ry http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Matthew_C._Per ry  http://www.history.navy.mil/branches/teach/ pearl/kanagawa/friends4.htm http://www.history.navy.mil/branches/teach/ pearl/kanagawa/friends4.htm