jjares reviewed Commodore Matthew Perry: The Life and Legacy of the U.S. Navy Officer Who Opened Japan to the West on + 3270 more book reviews
Matthew Calbraith Perry was 9-years younger than his brother, Oliver Hazard Perry. Matthew began his career as a midshipman at 14-years-of-age on board his brother's ship the Revenge. Their job was to patrol the American coast, watching for British ships that were hoping to impress American seamen.
Matthew has a four-decade, illustrious career in the Navy. Early on, he understood how horrible scurvy was to sailors and, although no one understood why the sailors got scurvy, Matthew constantly bought stores of fresh fruits, vegetables, fermented foods (sauerkraut and others) wherever he could to augment his sailors' diet. Before long, scurvy disappeared from his ship and the Navy took notice. He also was concerned with the education of young sailors and helped set up a naval library. Later, he developed the curriculum for the Naval Academy.
Matthew is also known as the "Father of the Steam Navy;" he pushed the Navy to implement the latest technologies. He created the first gunnery school while leading the Fulton. He took part in the Little Belt Affair War, Second Barbary War, Suppression of the Slave Trade, and the Mexican-American War. In 1853, Matthew was instrumental in getting the Japanese government to change their (two centuries of) isolationist policy. In 1854, through Matthew's pressuring, Japan opened its doors to America (and the rest of the world).
Commodore Perry married Jane Slidell and they had seven daughters and three sons. He died at the age of 63. All five of Christopher Perry's sons were in the US Navy and died during their service. Their family was considered to be a Naval Dynasty.
Matthew has a four-decade, illustrious career in the Navy. Early on, he understood how horrible scurvy was to sailors and, although no one understood why the sailors got scurvy, Matthew constantly bought stores of fresh fruits, vegetables, fermented foods (sauerkraut and others) wherever he could to augment his sailors' diet. Before long, scurvy disappeared from his ship and the Navy took notice. He also was concerned with the education of young sailors and helped set up a naval library. Later, he developed the curriculum for the Naval Academy.
Matthew is also known as the "Father of the Steam Navy;" he pushed the Navy to implement the latest technologies. He created the first gunnery school while leading the Fulton. He took part in the Little Belt Affair War, Second Barbary War, Suppression of the Slave Trade, and the Mexican-American War. In 1853, Matthew was instrumental in getting the Japanese government to change their (two centuries of) isolationist policy. In 1854, through Matthew's pressuring, Japan opened its doors to America (and the rest of the world).
Commodore Perry married Jane Slidell and they had seven daughters and three sons. He died at the age of 63. All five of Christopher Perry's sons were in the US Navy and died during their service. Their family was considered to be a Naval Dynasty.
