Treaty of Amity and Commerce (United States–Japan)

Quick Facts: Who was Treaty of Amity and Commerce (United States–Japan)?

Subject:

Treaty of Amity and Commerce (United States–Japan)

Known for:

Treaty opening Japanese ports to US trade and granting foreign rights.

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Origins & Early Life

The Treaty of Amity and Commerce between Japan and the United States (日米修好通商条約, Nichibei Shūkō Tsūshō Jōyaku), also called the Harris Treaty was a treaty signed between the United States and Tokugawa Shogunate, which opened the ports of Kanagawa and four other Japanese cities to trade and granted extraterritoriality to foreigners, among a number of trading stipulations. It was signed on the deck of the USS Powhatan in Edo (now Tokyo) Bay on July 29, 1858.

Career & Major Achievements

July 29, 1858: Treaty and Regulations are signed by the United States and Japan December 15, 1858: Senate reviews the treaty and consents to ratification March 19, 1859: Ratified by Japan July 4, 1859: Entered into force April 12, 1860: Ratified by the President of the United States May 22–23, 1860: Ratifications exchanged at Washington and proclaimed by the President June 25, 1866: Amended through convention July 25, 1878: Modified by convention July 17, 1899: Superseded by the treaty of November 22, 1894.

Enduring Legacy & Impact

The treaty followed the 1854 Convention of Kanagawa, which granted coaling rights for American merchant ships and allowed for a US Consul in Shimoda.

Chronological Milestones & Life Events

1. 1854: 1854 Milestone — The treaty followed the 1854 Convention of Kanagawa, which granted coaling rights for American merchant ships and allowed for a US Consul in Shimoda.
2. 1858: 1858 Milestone — It was signed on the deck of the USS Powhatan in Edo (now Tokyo) Bay on July 29, 1858.

Notable Quotes by Treaty of Amity and Commerce (United States–Japan)

“The treaty opened the ports of Kanagawa and four other Japanese cities to trade and granted extraterritoriality to foreigners.” (1858)

Historical Fact-Check Quiz: Treaty of Amity and Commerce (United States–Japan)

True or False: “True or false: The Treaty of Amity and Commerce was signed primarily to establish mutual defense pacts between the US and Japan.”

Answer (FALSE ❌): The treaty's primary stipulations concerned opening Japanese ports to trade and granting extraterritoriality, not mutual defense pacts. Defense was a secondary or non-existent element in the initial signing.

Contemporary Figures & Related Historical Timelines

• Aimé Bonpland — Historical peer (Died in 1858) (1858): French explorer and botanist, renowned for his scientific travels with Alexander von Humboldt.
• Alexis Soyer — Historical peer (Died in 1858) (1858): Pioneering French chef, writer, and inventor celebrated for his work in Victorian England.
• A. E. Housman — Historical peer (Born in 1859) (1859): English classicist and poet, renowned for his scholarship and melancholic verse.
• Aleksandr Popov (physicist) — Historical peer (Born in 1859) (1859): Pioneering Russian physicist credited with early radio receiving technology.
• Aleksey Khomyakov — Historical peer (Died in 1860) (1860): Founding theoretician of the Slavophile movement in Russian philosophy.
• Alphonse Mucha — Historical peer (Born in 1860) (1860): Master of Art Nouveau, famed for decorative posters and The Slav Epic.
• Abraham Flexner — Historical peer (Born in 1866) (1866): Pioneering American educator known for reforming US and Canadian medical and higher education.
• Alfred Werner — Historical peer (Born in 1866) (1866): Pioneering Swiss chemist who established modern coordination chemistry.
• Ahn Chang Ho — Historical peer (Born in 1878) (1878): Pioneering Korean independence activist and leader of the Korean-American community.
• Alfred Döblin — Historical peer (Born in 1878) (1878): Pioneering German modernist novelist, essayist, and doctor, famed for Berlin Alexanderplatz.

Frequently Asked Questions about Treaty of Amity and Commerce (United States–Japan)