The Battle of Ganghwa was the largest engagement of the 1871 U.S. expedition to Korea, representing an early U.S. attempt to open Korea to trade.
Key Facts
- Year of conflict
- 1871
- U.S. warships deployed
- 5 Asiatic Squadron warships
- Departing country
- Japan
- Korean designation
- Hermit Kingdom
- Key objective
- Establish trade treaty and investigate SS General Sherman crew
Location
Cause → Event → Consequence
The United States sought to learn the fate of the crew of the SS General Sherman and to negotiate a trade treaty with Joseon Korea, similar to the treaty Commodore Perry had imposed on Japan in the early 1850s. Five Asiatic Squadron warships departed Japan in May 1871 on what was initially intended as a diplomatic mission.
Upon arriving near Ganghwa Island, the American expedition came under fire from Korean fort guns, transforming the peaceful mission into open conflict. U.S. forces responded by storming and capturing the forts on Ganghwa Island, making it the largest and most significant engagement of the entire expedition.
Despite the U.S. military success in capturing the Ganghwa forts, Joseon Korea refused to negotiate a trade treaty, and American forces ultimately withdrew without achieving their diplomatic objectives. Korea remained closed to formal U.S. trade relations until the later Joseon–U.S. treaty of 1882.
Belligerents & Mobilization Analysis
Side A
1 belligerent
Side B
1 belligerent