Standing tall with his four ships of black
Matthew Perry sought not to attack
No, instead he did bring
A much scarier thing:
Tides of change that could not be held back

Event: Commodore Matthew Perry sails the “black ships” (USS Mississippi, USS Plymouth, USS Saratoga, and USS Susquehanna) into Edo Bay, bringing a symbolic end to Japan’s centuries-old policy of sakoku, in which contact with the outside world (and especially the West) was kept to a minimum
Year: 1853
Learn more: Matthew Perry (no, not Matthew Perry)
Black Ships
Sakoku