Townsend Harris was a successful New York City merchant and minor politician, and the first United States Consul General to Japan. He negotiated the "Harris Treaty" between the U.S. and Japan and is credited as the diplomat who first opened the Japanese Empire to foreign trade and culture. He gained the respect and affection of the Japanese people, and is honoured to this day in Japan. Harris was born in the village of Sandy Hill (now Hudson Falls), … Wikipedia
It was finally signed in late July 1858 and, giving the nod to Harris's patriotic flourish, went into effect on July 4 , 1859. web.jjay.cuny.edu/~jobrien/reference/ob76.html
The definitive Wikipedia entry for Townsend Harris. Wikipedia is the biggest multilingual free-content encyclopedia on the Internet. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Townsend_Harris