The Perry Expedition

We've been spending a lot of time with US history and it's time to head abroad. Grant gets meta with an episode that does just that! Japan spent hundreds of years isolating itself (from a certain point of view) until an American fleet gave them the opportunity (from a certain point of view) to open their society to the colonial powers. What's the difference between diplomacy and coercion? How can you maintain tradition in a changing world? Is an equal exchange even possible?

Links!

• Fillmore and Perry's letters to the Emperor, and Perry's letter enclosed with the white flag
• Japanese depictions of Commodore Perry (center) and his fleet
• A thread of images from a Japanese illustrated history of America from 1861
• Pacific Overtures, a 1970s musical dramatizing the events discussed

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Logo by Marah

Music by Thylacinus

Censor beep by Frank West of The FPlus