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Japanese Shogunate Source Analysis

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Japanese Shogunate Source Analysis

Japan’s shogunate system ended during a period of rapid change in the 1800s. Read the two sources below closely. Use details from the sources and your own historical reasoning to identify perspective, usefulness and limits.

Context: a turning point

For more than 250 years, Japan was governed by the Tokugawa shogunate. The shogun and regional lords held political power, while the emperor remained an important symbol of authority. In 1853, ships from the United States led by Commodore Matthew Perry arrived in Japan. After further negotiations, Japan signed the Treaty of Kanagawa in 1854, allowing American ships to use two ports. Disagreements over foreign influence and the shogunate’s authority grew. In 1868, the Meiji Restoration began: political power was formally returned to the emperor, and a new government set about changing Japan.

Source A: An official announcement, 1868

The following is a classroom-created paraphrase of the aims of the Charter Oath, issued in the name of Emperor Meiji in 1868. It is not a direct quotation. “Councils will be established so that public discussion can guide government. People of different ranks should unite to carry out the affairs of the state. Old customs that obstruct progress should be set aside, and knowledge should be sought throughout the world to strengthen the country.” Source details: issued by the new Meiji government; public political statement; intended for people in Japan. As an official statement, it presents the government’s goals rather than a record of how every person experienced change.

Source B: A historian’s account

The following is an original classroom summary of historians’ interpretations, written for this worksheet. “The arrival of American ships exposed the shogunate’s difficulty in controlling foreign relations. The decision to allow American ships into selected ports angered some Japanese leaders and contributed to disputes over who should govern. The end of shogunate rule was not caused by one event alone: political conflict, pressure from abroad and demands for change all played a part. The new Meiji government later used reform to build a more centralised state.” Source details: written by a historian long after the events; based on historical evidence and later research; intended to explain causes and consequences to readers.

1.Source A was issued in 1868. Identify its creator and describe the kind of source it is.

2.Which phrase from Source A most clearly shows that the new government wanted Japan to learn from outside the country?

“Councils will be established”
“People of different ranks should unite”
“knowledge should be sought throughout the world”
“issued in the name of Emperor Meiji”

3.What attitude towards change does Source A present? Support your answer with one detail from the source.

4.Source A is useful for understanding what the new government wanted to achieve. What is one important limitation of using it to learn how ordinary people actually experienced the changes?

5.According to Source B, name two factors that contributed to the end of shogunate rule.

6.Is Source B a primary or a secondary source for the events it describes? Explain your choice using its source details.

7.Source B says the end of shogunate rule was not caused by one event alone. Which option best matches that interpretation?

The arrival of American ships was the only cause.
A combination of foreign pressure, political conflict and demands for change contributed.
The Meiji government ended shogunate rule before any foreign ships arrived.
The Treaty of Kanagawa immediately ended all political conflict.

8.Compare the sources. What do both suggest about Japan’s direction after shogunate rule ended? Give one detail from each source.

9.A researcher wants to know how people in a Japanese port reacted when American ships arrived in 1853. Which source is more useful for that question, A or B? Explain what it can and cannot tell the researcher.

10.Historical claim: “The Meiji Restoration was simply a change of ruler.” Use evidence from both sources to explain why this claim is too limited.