Upcoming Events
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Commodore Perry and the Black Ships Legacy
Two-day symposium in Newport, RI
Presentations by the authors of the upcoming edited book Commodore Perry and the Black Ships Legacy and discussion about Perry's impacts and legacy.
Monday, February 22- Tuesday, February 23, 2027
Wyndham Newport Hotel
More details to follow
Past Events
by Perry 175 and our Partner Organizations
Commodore Perry, the Treaty of Kanagawa, and the “Non-Opening” of Japan
with speaker Glenn Scoggins
On March 31, 1854, the Treaty of Kanagawa was signed by Commodore Matthew C. Perry and officials of the Tokugawa Shogunate in the obscure village of Yokohama. Looking back after 170 years, what led up to this agreement, what did it accomplish, and did Perry really “open” Japan?
Thursday, April 11, 2026, 7pm JST
A Yokohama History Society Talk hosted by Yokohama Country & Athletic Club
Command & Courage: Oliver Hazard Perry
Two-day symposium exploring the life and leadership of Oliver Hazard Perry - older brother of Commodore Matthew C. Perry
Lectures by nationally recognized historians, authors, and a direct descendant, offering new insight into one of the most pivotal figures in American naval history.
Thursday, August 13 2026, 1pm EDT- Friday August 14, 2026, 4pm EDT
Gannon University, Erie, PA
Find out more here
The Diplomacy of Gift Exchange During the 1853-1854 Perry Expedition to Japan
Seminar by Matthew C. Perry at Boston University
with Seiichiro Takahashi, Consul General of Japan in Boston, William Grimes, Discussant, Grant Rhode, Moderator
Commodore Matthew C. Perry, America's greatest naval diplomat as well as father of the American steam navy, brought significant technology, arts, food, and spirit gifts to Japan and received gifts in return from the Japanese. The importance of gift exchange as the basis for social relations, especially in the context of diplomacy, was examined by Perry descendant, and family historian, Matthew C. Perry.
Wednesday, February 25, 2026, 4pm-6pm
