Townsend Harris meets the Shogun in Edo (1857)

Townsend Harris, the first US Consul General to Japan, secured a personal audience with Shogun Tokugawa Iesada in Edo. After eighteen months of negotiations, Harris delivered his president's letter directly to the Shogun at Edo Castle in late 1857, establishing diplomatic protocol for future treaty discussions.

Episodes

Background and detail

Background. Townsend Harris served as the first United States Consul General to Japan, appointed in 1856. He insisted on the courtesies due to an accredited envoy, refusing to deliver his president's letter to anyone other than the Shogun personally. This demand necessitated prolonged negotiations with the Tokugawa shogunate to secure a formal audience.

Negotiations. Harris spent eighteen months negotiating for a personal audience with the Shogun. His insistence on delivering the presidential letter directly to Tokugawa Iesada, rather than through intermediaries, was a key diplomatic hurdle. The process culminated in an audience at Edo Castle in October 1857, marking a significant step in diplomatic relations.

The Audience. On 21 October 1857, Shogun Tokugawa Iesada received Townsend Harris in an audience at Edo Castle. This event satisfied Harris's demand for direct delivery of the president's letter. The meeting established the necessary diplomatic framework for subsequent treaty negotiations, including the Harris Treaty of 1858.

People involved

Sources

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