who was commodore matthew perry?
<answer> Matthew Calbraith Perry was a Commodore of the United States Navy and commanded a number of ships. <context> Matthew Calbraith Perry[Note 1] was a Commodore of the United States Navy and commanded a number of ships. He served in several wars, most notably in the War of 1812 and the Mexican–American War. He played a leading role in the opening of Japan to the West with the Convention of Kanagawa in 1854. Perry took an interest in the education of naval officers and assisted in the development of an apprentice system that helped establish the curriculum at the United States Naval Academy. With the ...