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1853 black ship
1853, a small fleet of American warships commanded by Commodore Matthew Perry steamed into the bay at Edo (now Tokyo). The "black ships," -
1860s: Japan a Strong and Independent nation
Japan's government was overthrown by a 15 year old who wanted a rich country and a strong military. the nation had a new political system with a parliament and a constitution, a modern army and navy, and growing industries. Determined to keep their country from becoming a colony of the West. The best way to do this, they believed, was to adopt Western culture and technology and to make Japan strong. -
1898 america becomes a Pacific Power
In 1898, the U.S. and Spain fought a brief war. The U.S., recognizing that it could lose its profitable trade with China, announced an "open door policy". The policy proposed support for China's independence while guaranteeing equal trading rights for all nations. The "open door" policy, however, did not sit well with Japan.
