Perry Expedition
The Perry Expedition (, , "Arrival of the Black Ships") was a diplomatic and military expedition to the Tokugawa Shogunate, involving two separate voyages by warships of the United States Navy, which took place during 1853–54. The goals of this expedition included exploration, surveying, and the establishment of diplomatic relations and negotiation of trade agreements with various nations of the region; opening contact with the government of Japan was considered a top priority of the expedition, and was one of the key reasons for its inception.