reference to the Perry brothers, Matthew Calbraith (1794–1858) and Oliver Hazard (1785–1819). Matthew was an
American naval
officer and
diplomat who joined the navy in 1809,
saw action in the
War of 1812 and later served as an
officer in the
Mediterranean. His
chief claim to fame rests on his negotiations with the isolated country of Japan in 1852 - 1854. He successfully arranged a treaty which opened Japan to the US and the rest of the
world. Oliver, his
brother, as an
American naval
officer had been ordered to build a
fleet on Lake Erie in the
north central US in
order to
prevent British
advance during the
War of 1812. On 10 September 1813, the Battle of Lake Erie was fought in which Perry
heroically forced the full surrender of the British
fleet. Both Perrys were spirited and ruthless naval officers of their
time.
—SHSBC Binder 31 Approved Glossary