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The Great Commodore Forgotten, but not Lost: Matthew C. Perry in American History and Memory, 1854-2018

Jones, Chester J
http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ysu1588797054746924

Abstract Details

2020, Master of Arts in History, Youngstown State University, Department of Humanities.
Commodore Matthew Perry was impactful for the United States Navy and the expansion of America's diplomacy around the world. He played a vital role in negotiating the 1854 Treaty of Kanagawa, which established trade between the United States and Japan, and helped reform the United States Navy. The new changes he implemented, like schooling and officer ranks, are still used in modern America. Nevertheless, the memory of Commodore Matthew Perry has faded from the American public over the decades since his death. He is not taught in American schools, hardly written about, and barely remembered by the American people. The goal of this paper is to find out what has caused Matthew Perry to disappear from America's public memory. The researcher argues that the rise and fall of Perry’s legacy is related to his family relationships, his participation in imperialistic ventures, and the state of foreign affairs between the United States and Japan. It concludes that Commodore Matthew Perry is remembered in Japan more than in the country where he was born. Many types of sources were used to support this research including biographies, Perry’s journals, and history books. American textbooks, newspaper articles, and other forms of media were examined to determine Perry’s history changed. Finally, it examines Japanese anime and manga to highlight Perry’s importance in Japanese popular culture. Taken together, these sources explain when and why the memory of Matthew Perry started to fade from American's public memory.
Amy Fluker, PhD (Committee Chair)
Brian Bonhomme, PhD (Committee Member)
David Simonelli, PhD (Committee Member)
100 p.
History
Commodore Matthew Perry; Popular Culture; Memory

Recommended Citations

Citations

  • Jones, C. J. (2020). The Great Commodore Forgotten, but not Lost: Matthew C. Perry in American History and Memory, 1854-2018 [Master's thesis, Youngstown State University]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ysu1588797054746924

    APA Style (7th edition)

  • Jones, Chester. The Great Commodore Forgotten, but not Lost: Matthew C. Perry in American History and Memory, 1854-2018 . 2020. Youngstown State University, Master's thesis. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center, http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ysu1588797054746924.

    MLA Style (8th edition)

  • Jones, Chester. "The Great Commodore Forgotten, but not Lost: Matthew C. Perry in American History and Memory, 1854-2018 ." Master's thesis, Youngstown State University, 2020. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ysu1588797054746924

    Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition)

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This open access ETD is published by Youngstown State University and OhioLINK.