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This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. Why did Commodore Perry bring many gifts on his ships?

2. Who arrived in Japan 15 days after Commodore Perry left?

3. Where did the Japanese want the Americans to land?

4. What was one reason Perry was happy with the treaty?

5. What was handed to Commodore Perry?

Short Essay Questions

1. Why was Commodore Perry happy with the treaty?

2. How did the Americans impress the Japanese as the Americans came ashore?

3. What did Commodore Perry say to the Japanese about wanting a treaty and the consequences of not getting one?

4. What did Perry's arrival precipitate?

5. What sort of gifts did the Americans give the higher ranked Japanese?

6. When did Kayama meet with the fleet and what did he tell them?

7. What did the Japanese do after the treaty and what impressed the Americans about the Japanese?

8. How did the villagers of Shimoda behave at first?

9. What was the Commodore's first impression of Shimoda.

10. What made Perry decide to sail to Japan despite the Shogun's death?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Most protagonists are a mixture of admirable traits and character flaws, and Commodore Perry is no exception.

1. Trace and analyze situations when Commodore Perry demonstrates his admirable traits. Give specific examples to illustrate your analysis.

2. Trace and analyze Commodore Perry's character flaws, and explain how the flaws help or hinder his obtaining his objectives.

3. After analyzing Commodore Perry's strengths and weaknesses, decide if he is an appropriate "hero" of the story. Is there anyone else who might be a more admirable "hero"?

Essay Topic 2

When Shogun Ieyasu died in 1616, being a Christian became punishable by death and Christians were persecuted en masse. The cross was stamped annually and even in the nineteenth century, the Dutch and formerly Christian Japanese families were force to stamp Christian symbols. Discuss the following:

1. Research the persecution of Christians in Japan in under the Tokugawa Shoganate and write an informative essay about the topic. Include your thoughts on why the Shoganate was ohstile towards Christianity and whether you think the hostility had any justification.

2. How do you think Japanese Chrisitans could have impacted the status quo? Consider the idea that all are equal in God's eyes according to many Christian denominations.

3. What is an example of a nation in the 21st century who practices religious intolerance? Compare/contrast their manifestation of intolerance with that of Japan in earlier centuries.

4. What do you think is the reason some people/nations are intolerant of religions that are different from their own?

Essay Topic 3

The Dutch were the only regular trading partners of the Japanese and they basically lived like slaves. They submitted to Japanese control in order to gain the enormous profits that came from Japanese trade. Discuss the following:

1. Do you think the Dutch paid too high a price for their "enormous profits"? Explain your answer.

2. How do you think the Japanese thought of the Dutch? Do you think the Japanese respected the Dutch? Why or why not?

3. Many corporations today are accused of making profit the "bottom line." What do you think that means? Do you agree?

4. Would you work for a company whose open or implied philosophy was "profit at any cost"? Why or why not.

(see the answer keys)

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