A Letter to an Emperor - 1678 Words

A letter to an Emperor This source of document basically shows how the Americans came to Japan and practiced â€Å"Gun-boat diplomacy† on Japan in order to open up its country and abandon its closed-door policy. The writer wrote that America back at the homeland was clouded by â€Å"the horrors of the Civil War† and many other domestic problems like buying over Native American lands in the north and dealing with Western nations like the British to remove them out of America’s lands. The term â€Å"manifest destiny† in the 1840s, based on America’s perspective, refers to America’s aspiration in assisting countries in other parts of the world to realize their full potential of becoming a modern and self-governance state (Merk, 1995). All in all, from†¦show more content†¦However, similar to the British in the Opium War against China, the Americans used the â€Å"Gun-boat diplomacy† to divulge the potential military demolition prowess in the eyes of t he Japanese. With past historical events like the Opium War, the writer specifically acknowledge that the western power like the Americans were purely attempting to threaten the Japanese to discard its closed-door policy and open up to western nations and ideas. This could also demonstrate that the Japanese were powerless and were caught unprepared militarily during that period and the decision to let in the Americans were made final by â€Å"prince† Toda Izu, a Shogun official, and not the emperor. Moreover, the attempt to gather feedback and advice from the Emperor was regarded as only the â€Å"last resort† as it would reflect negatively that the Shogun was incapable and incompetent to make important decision. On the other hand, it might be that the decision made together with the emperor would mean better management to keep American officials at bay from not creating such unequal treaties. On the other hand, we could argue that the Shogun had the ability to forese e that the coming of the west was one to be profit with. The fact that China was heavily defeated by the British in the Opium War; it was a living example that it is useless to fend off western powers as they were not in par with the western military prowess, let alone to even stand a chance of winning. Welcoming the Americans forShow MoreRelatedLetter From The Qianlong Emperor King George IIi847 Words   |  4 PagesHistory Assignment 2 Document Analysis: Letter from the Qianlong Emperor to King George III In 1793, in the midst of the French revolution in Europe, Emperor Qianlong of the Qing state, who reigned over the Chinese empire from 1735-95, responded to a request made by an envoy sent by King George III of Britain. The envoy sent, known as the Macartney embassy and fronted by Lord Macartney, was for the purpose of discussing the condition of relations between Great Britain and the Qing empire and possibleRead MoreNapoleon s Letters From An Italian Nobleman s Family1098 Words   |  5 Pagessources penned by figures themselves, and that is what we have with Napoleon s letters. Through them we can hope to gain a better and more well-rounded look into the life one of the most loved, and reviled, men in recent history. To begin, let us take a look at Napoleon’s letters to his immediate family. Letter 71 is addressed to his sister Pauline, who in 1803 had married into an Italian nobleman’s family. In this letter, Napoleon expresses his love for his sister, and wishes her nothing but happinessRead MoreThe Pope s Official Register1201 Words   |  5 Pages27 statements of power under the Catholic Church, and it is the first time that a document grants the pope power to depose an Emperor. The document most likely written, or influenced, by Pope Gregory VII came in wake of the lay investiture controversy between the Holy Roman Emperor Henry IV and Pope Gregory VII. Lay investiture is when lay, or worldly, kings and emperors invests in bishops, appointing them to bishops of the area in which they rule. It was extremely common for the bishops that wereRead MoreThe Lost Letters Of Pergamum1217 Words   |  5 Pagescomplex cultural melting pot. Rife with hedonism, the honor/shame structure o f the Roman Empire encourage the worship of the Emperor as God and the Empire as his Holy Empire. Against this narrative, the early Church was a counterculture to the ways of the empire and it is against this backdrop that Bruce Longenecker’s The Lost Letters of Pergamum takes place. The Lost Letters of Pergamum is a historical narrative following Antipas and encounters with Luke through an associate in a neighboring townRead MoreThe Second Letter of Henan Cortes to Charles V1624 Words   |  7 PagesDocument Analysis: The Second Letter of Henan Cortà ©s to Charles V The Second letters to Charles V were written by Hernan Cortà ©s of Spain in 1520. The letters were sent to Charles V to justify Cortà ©s actions of attacking the Aztec s against his superiors order. The letters that Cortà ©s wrote details the lifestyle, and culture of the Aztec s and how worshipped pagan gods. This document is a set of letters that Hernan Cortà ©s wrote detailing his experiences within the area known today as Mexico. TheseRead MoreThe Relationship Between Christians And The Roman Empire1482 Words   |  6 Pagesfound on the relationship between the Christians and the Romans. The majority of the sources being used in this summation are from the Documents of the Christian Church the fourth edition. Also three primary sources from the times of Constantine, the emperor of Rome in the fourth century. The Romans start as thinking of the Christians as criminals, to being tolerant with them, to eventually they embrace the Christian faith. According to the sources the Christians were hated by the people of Rome. AccordingRead MoreImperial System Of Han China During The Yongzheng Period By Jonathan D. Spence Essay1573 Words   |  7 PagesJonathan D. Spence’s book, Treason By The Book, we are introduced to Qing China during the rule of the Yongzheng Emperor who, during his reign, must investigate a scandal involving dissident, rogue scholars who threaten the Chinese imperial system. The imperial system revolves entirely around the emperor who must rule benevolently, and as an autocrat. As is typical of an autocrat, the Emperor rules by divine right, and as a result has no checks on his power by law or citizenry, contains some elementsRead MoreThe Reign Of The Holy Roman Empire1458 Words   |  6 PagesOn Christmas day of 800 A.D., Pope Leo III crowned Charlemagne the Holy Roman Emperor. This pivotal, but not necessarily wanted, moment in the history of the Catholic Church set up a precedent for very strong rel ations between the Holy Roman Emperor and the papacy. During the eleventh century, with the Holy Roman Emperor ruled by Henry IV, relations with the papacy came to a front over several disagreement between Henry IV and Pope Gregory VII. Their arguments mainly focused on the power that eachRead MoreChina s Attitude Towards The West868 Words   |  4 Pagesdid not want to engage the West on issues, which, according to Europeans, were crucial for enhancing development. The writing by Emperor Qianlong was highly critical of such a move. He wrote a letter to King George of England in which he elaborated their position with regard to the needs of Britain. The writing foreshadowed the opium invasions and wars of China. The emperor implied the significance and value of Chinese goods, which, to them, were quite crucial and required protection from external interferenceRead MoreComparing Pagan Romans And Christians Essay1107 Words   |  5 Pages Explain emperor Nero, and his part in how th e persecutions began on a higher level. Glimpse of some of the accusations Christians went under. B. Introduce Primary source Pliny and his letter to Trajan. Explain the reason this letter relates to the relationship of the Christians and Pagan Romans. C. Thesis: The Christians faced tumultuous, and massive amounts of hardships in the 2nd and 3rd C.E, through looking at the primary source of Pliny the Younger letters to Emperor Trajan, and