Founding Fragments
Welcome to Founding Fragments, a new video series that gets up close and personal with historical treasures in the collection of the National Museum of American History.
Current Episode
American history isn’t always just about America – sometimes, it’s about Japan. On July 8, 1853, Commodore Matthew Perry sailed into Tokyo Bay with four American ships and a mission from the U.S. Government to open Japan to American trade. In this episode of “Founding Fragments,” host Tory Altman talks with the National Portrait Gallery's Wendy Wick Reaves about an object that shows how the Japanese saw their new visitors.