Grant was a man of peace, and almost wholly devoted to domestic affairs. With Grant's limited foreign policy experience, he was under capable hands with Secretary of State Hamilton Fish, an experienced statesman. There were no foreign-policy disasters, and no wars to engage in. Besides Grant himself, the main players in foreign affairs were Secretary Fish and the chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee Charles Sumner. They had to cooperate to get a treaty ratified. Sumner led the opposition to Grant's plan to annex Santo Domingo, with that nation's cooperation, and the measure was defeated. Historians have a high regard for the professionalism, independence, and good judgment of Hamilton Fish. The main issues involved Britain, Canada, Santo Domingo, Cuba and Spain. Worldwide, it was a peaceful era, with no major wars directly affecting the United States. In 1871, an U.S. expedition to Korea failed to open up trade and ended with an American military victory at the battle of Ganghwa-do.