General Sherman incident

The region of Korea had been under the control of the Joseon dynasty since 1392. During the period of Joseon control, Korea, known in the West as the "Hermit Kingdom", had adopted several isolationist policies in response to Manchu and Japanese invasions. These policies remained in place during the 19th century, a period which saw the rapid increase in Western imperialism in Asia, including the Opium Wars which led to the opening of Qing China to foreign trade. Increasing Western influence in Asia saw Christian missionaries travel to the region to proselytize, which led them into conflict with various Asian governments over the tensions caused by the introduction of Christianity. In China, the activities of Western missionaries indirectly led to the Taiping Rebellion, as Christian rebels led by Hong Xiuquan revolted against the Manchu-ruled Qing government. In response to these developments and what Joseon royalty perceived as a subversive religion, regent Heungseon Daewongun initiated a series of persecutions of Korean Christians in 1866 in which 8,000 were killed, including nine French missionaries. In response, the French had threatened to dispatch an expedition to Korea. Foreign merchants who attempted to travel to Korea for trade were rebuffed by local officials, though the Korean government attempted to maintain friendly relations with Western powers. Meanwhile, the United States was attempting to expand its influence in Asia, and in 1854 forced the Japanese government to open Japan to foreign trade. American merchants hoped that a similar process could lead to the opening of Korea. == Incident ==

Determined to force the Korean government to end its isolationism, the SS General Sherman, an armed merchant schooner owned by Boston businessman W. B. Preston, made plans to travel to Korea. The crew of the General Sherman consisted of Captain Page and Chief Mate Wilson (both Americans), English supercargo George Hogarth and thirteen Asian crew-members, which included Chinese sailor and interpreter Chao Ling Feng, two pilots from Shandong and ten sailors from Beijing, Malaya and South China (who were possibly former soldiers in service of Henry Andres Burgevine). Also on board were a money changer from Guangzhou, Welsh missionary Robert Jermain Thomas and Preston. Prior to travelling to Korea, the ship's crew purchased stocks of cotton textiles, tinware, mirrors and glassware from British trading firm Messrs. Meadows and Co. in Tianjin and travelled to Yantai before departing for Korean waters on August 9, 1866. Entering the Taedong River on August 16, the crew made frequent stops for Thomas to hand out Bibles to Korean villagers. Korean officials repeatedly informed Page that the ship was not allowed to trade in Korea, which were ignored by the crew. After receiving reports of the General Sherman and its voyage, Daewongun believed the merchantman to be a French Navy warship on a punitive mission to avenge the deaths of Catholic priests in Korea. He ordered governor of Pyongan Bak Gyusu to inform the crew that if they did not leave they would be killed. In the meantime, the General Sherman ran aground on the river when the tide receded, having misjudged the depth of the river due to a temporary rain swell. On August 27, the crew dispatched a dinghy to forage, which was intercepted by a junk carrying Korean official Yi Hyon-ik, a subordinate of Bak. The crew of the General Sherman took the occupants of the junk hostage. Bak attempted to negotiate for their release, with the crew responding by demanding a ransom of rice, gold, silver, and ginseng for the release of the hostages. After the first attack failed, the Koreans then roped together three small boats loaded with firewood, saltpeter, and sulfur, lighting them on fire, and sent them drifting towards the General Sherman. Though the first trio of fire ships missed their target and a second wave bounced off the General Sherman, the third wave set the merchantman on fire. The crew and passengers of the General Sherman abandoned the ship but were killed by enraged civilian onlookers on the shore. The death of Thomas, which supposedly occurred while attempting to hand a Bible to his killer, was later portrayed as an act of martyrdom. The cannons of the General Sherman were salvaged by the Korean government, which celebrated its successful resolution of the incident. == Aftermath ==

After the incident, the U.S. government remained unaware of the fate of the General Sherman, as Korean officials refrained from informing their American counterparts of what had happened. This was in part due to the Korean government believing that the General Sherman was a British or French ship, and also over concerns that informing the U.S. government would lead to a punitive expedition or a demand for reparations from the United States. Several U.S. Navy officials conducted investigations in Korea in 1867 and 1868, though Korean officials evaded their questions concerning the General Sherman. In the meantime, the French expedition to Korea overshadowed the General Sherman incident, the unsuccessful invasion taking place just two months later, further reaffirming Korean isolationism. == Legacy ==

According to official North Korean accounts, Kim Ŭngu, the great-grandfather of Kim Il Sung, lead a group of volunteers to attack the USS General Sherman. The story states that they sank the ship by burning it with firewood, and that a second ship, the Shenandoah, was sent by the United States before also being destroyed by Kim. Although there is no historical evidence that Kim Ŭngu was actually involved in the event, he is still considered a national hero in North Korea and is remembered as the revolutionary founder of the Kim dynasty. == See also ==