Below is the memo regarding preparation for the weekend....
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Dear 2009 Historical Simulation Committee Delegate:
Let us begin by welcoming you to this year’s Historical Simulation Committee: Dateline 1848 to 1860. This year’s topic will allow us all to go back to an era where a 60-year old nation was trying to define itself independently despite the attempts of other countries which sought to exert great influence on its direction. We will collectively grapple with issues that still impact the world today: the meaning of freedom, role of states in a union, importance of individual freedom in a collective society, and role of foreign nations in domestic affairs and international commerce.
The Historical Simulation Committee is one of the most exciting, rewarding, and intense experiences a high school student could have in the Hershey Model UN program. We will make three guarantees about this year’s simulation:
1. We will not be scripted, so realize the decisions the major players make (including the two of us in our roles as U.S. Senators) will have repercussions – some good, some disastrous.
2. The era of the simulation will be lived by all of us during committee time – thus we will have the period's limitations of technology and communications.
3. This weekend could be the most challenging, yet fun weekend of your life – if you are prepared.
That said, it is important for you to prepare thoroughly for the conference.[1] To that end, we have a number of requirements for participation in this year’s conference. Failure to comply with any of the requirements will result in your removal from the Historical Simulation Committee:
1. You are required to participate in one of two online Mock Sessions. (The substance will be the same, so no need to attend both). Both will run from 8:00 – 9:30 pm on Sunday, November 30 and Tuesday, December 2 . Directions on gaining access to the chat room can be found on our Blog site a week prior. Please make sure you state your name and position as you login for attendance purposes.
2. You should logon to our Blog weekly (http://hsc0809.blogspot.com/). This website will feature discussion groups for each Blog, plus new research and information from the bloc leaders and college staff. You should review and become familiar with the information we provide to you; it is for your benefit. On the Blog site now is background information on all blocs. In the coming weeks, we will provide the rules of this year’s simulation (as last year’s participants requested).
3. All delegates are required to make at least two substantive posts on the Blog in the comment section for their bloc prior to conference. The posts must be at least 100 words in length and cannot be completed on the same day.
4. Lastly, and most importantly, your preparations should begin with the answering of the questions at the conclusion of this memorandum. By 11:00 pm on December 10, 2007, you must post your paper in the appropriate section for your bloc on the Blog.[2] Failure to comply with this rule could (and without a very good reason APPROVED BY JASON REIMER IN ADVANCE) lead to your reassignment.[3] It is important to note that if anyone in your bloc is late without approval, the entire bloc will be sanctioned at the start of the weekend.
A word of note: the last deadline is not set arbitrarily. A member of our college staff reviews every paper and sends you personalized feedback. Not only does being late impact you and your bloc, it also negatively impacts our staff. If you know you are having an issue, please communicate that issue to Mr. Reimer in advance.
We make one last guarantee about the program – having an incredible time is completely based on everyone being prepared. That preparation starts today. Your bloc leaders designed these questions so we can begin the moment we convene in January.[4] Please do your part and ensure the success of this year’s HSC.
To conclude, here is the contact information for your bloc leaders, our college staff, and us. If, after contacting your bloc leader and college advisor, we can be of any further assistance in your preparations, please do not hesitate to e-mail us.
White House
Franklin Pierce
Jill Feeny
notmejmf@comcast.net
England
Prime Minister John Russell
Henrietta Levin
manateesxgoxmoo@aim.com
Mexico
Antonio López de Santa Anna
John Pope
popejohn12@hotmail.com
Washington Post
Editor in Chief
Olivia Lucas
livylucas07@yahoo.com
Richmond Exam.
Editor in Chief
Liz Rich
esr11491@yahoo.com
U. S. Senate
William R. King (D), Al - Senate President
Alexa Gaul
aagaul@comcast.net
U. S. Senate
Daniel Webster (W), Mass.
Mr. Reimer
jlr@hangley.com
U. S. Senate
John C. Calhoun (D), S.C.
Mr. Foster
dfoster@CRSD.org
College Staff
Press / Senate
Amy Conwell
aconwel1@jhu.edu
College Staff
Senate / White House
Joe Kardos
joekardos@gmail.com
College Staff
England / Mexico
Parker Schnell
pjschnell@gmail.com
Finally, we wish you all a great Holiday season. See you in January!
Best wishes,
Jason L. Reimer, Esquire
Donald Foster
HSC Coordinators
Instructions for Completing the Position Paper Assignment
· Answer all questions that apply to your bloc from the perspective of your assigned character.
· Position Paper guidelines:
o Each paper should be a minimum of 2 pages and maximum of 4 pages at size 12 Garamond or Times New Roman font with single spacing and 1” margins all around.
o When it is possible to use 1-2 sentence answers, please do so.
o Citations should be at the bottom of the position paper and will not count as part of the paper size requirements.
o Although you do not need to get carried away with complying with citation rules, your citations must enable our staff to find EXACTLY where you got your information.
o Encyclopedias and Wikipedia are not recognized sources for the HSC; do not cite from either.
o You must have at least four different sources.
o Instructions on uploading your paper to the Blog site will be posted on the Blog by Thanksgiving.
· If you have any questions about the assignment, please contact your Bloc leader.
Questions for the “White House” Bloc
Bloc Leader: Jill Feeney, notmejmf@comcast.net
What is your role within the bloc? What are some of your responsibilities? What are some of your past accomplishments that make you qualified for the position you now hold?
What political party are you a member of? What are the beliefs of your party?
In the mid 1800’s the political parties were not set in stone, if you could create your own political party what would it consist of?
What are three of the major issues that you will be most involved with? How will you respond/act?
In early 1848, mass amounts of gold were discovered in California and soon after proportional amounts of people moved to California due to the gold rush. How will the mass movement of people affect the government and their policies?
How will the relationship between Mexico and America be affected after the end of the Mexican-American War?
Due to everyone’s strong opinions about slavery, whether they are for or against, how will you go about preventing an event such as Bleeding Kansas?
Throughout the mid 1800’s, railroads were being built and expanded. Do you think that this will affect the government in anyway, if so how?
Is your character for or against slavery and why? Do you believe that the Missouri Compromise should be changed in anyway? If so how? What is your stance on the Underground Railroad and its activities?
How will relations between England and Mexico affect the United States foreign policy?
Do you believe that the Compromise of 1850, proposed by Henry Clay, will successfully help America from preventing a civil war?
Questions for the “England” Bloc
Bloc Leader: Henrietta Levin, manateesxgoxmoo@aim.com
1. Describe your position, power, role, and beliefs.
2. What are three major events that took place in England between 1840 and 1860?
3. In what state are England’s political and economic ties with America? In your opinion are these relationships in an acceptable condition?
4. Morally and economically, what is your opinion on slavery? Should England try to enforce this opinion abroad?
5. Is England more financially dependent on northern or southern America? Why?
6. Would you be in favor of Southern succession? Why or why not?
7. During this period England was the technological leader of the world. How did this leadership affect domestic and foreign affairs?
8. What are major issues that England was facing in this time period concerning Ireland? How do you want to address these issues?
9. Why was England such a powerful nation during this time period? To what extent would you act to maintain this power?
10. What nations were major English allies and enemies? What sort of interactions did England have with them during this time period?
Questions for the “Mexico” Bloc
Bloc Leader: John Pope, popejohn12@hotmail.com
Who is the character you are representing? — Describe his or her beliefs and role.
What are your responsibilities within the Mexican Government?
Who are your political allies/enemies?
Create a timeline of major events since the 1810 declaration of independence from Spain considering which groups/events your character supported and opposed.
What does your character think of the current state of Mexican affairs? Specifically its economy, military, international standing, domestic tranquility, and government.
What is your character’s opinion of Mexico’s relationship with the US? Include in the context of your answer the Mexican American War, Texas’s annexation and the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo.
How does your character view slavery?
Describe major forms of communication and transportation at this time internationally, and relative to their level of use in Mexico.
Write a eulogy for Los Niños Héroes, include allusions to your loyalty to our country, specifically el Presidente Antonio López de Santa Anna.
Questions for the “U.S. Senate” Bloc
Bloc Leader: Alexa Gaul, aagaul@comcast.net
What type of economy does the state you represent have? Is it more agriculturally or industrially based? How will this influence your views on slavery?
What is your and your state's view on the issue of slavery? Is it an economic or moral issue for you and the state you represent? What is your stance on the Underground Railroad and its activities?
How do you and the state you represent feel about the number of slave states versus free states? Why is this an issue? How does the Compromise of 1850 deal with this issue and how do you feel about the compromise?
Which people and states have the same views as you? Which do not?
If you are from the South, which Southern representatives and states generally agree with you? Are there any Southerners who disagree? Any Northerners? Who are they and why do they disagree with your view? Explain.
If you are from the North, which Northern representatives and states generally agree with you? Are there any Northerners who disagree? Any Southerners? Who are they and why do they disagree with your views? Explain.
*Also, note that some states/ representatives may agree with some of your views and disagree with others. Be sure to clarify which views they agree with and/or disagree with when answering this question.
Which political party do you belong to and what are the views and beliefs of that party? What are they promoting? What are they against? Why do you belong to that particular party? Does your state advocate the views of your party? Why or why not? Is there a recent change of views within your state, or a mixed view? If so, how does this create tension within your state?
Questions for the “Richmond Examiner” Bloc
Bloc Leader: Liz Rich, esr11491@yahoo.com
Your assignment will be to write three detailed articles on one of the five topics below from the Southern perspective, approximately 300-400 words each (you must do the last article). Keep in mind that the writing will be of reporter quality and in the present tense. The articles should not be overtly opinionated unless specified-- although a Southern bias is expected as a reporter of the Richmond Examiner during the Civil War era.
Examining the Mexican War (include the US’s reasons, the terminating treaty, and the influential people involved).
Examining the evolving policies of the U.K. and other European nations towards slavery.
Examining westward expansionism (include transportation, legislation/treaties, major attractions to the west).
Examining the differences between the Whig and Democratic party positions on the Compromise of 1850.
Examining the economic justification for slavery.
Questions for the “Washington Post” Bloc
Bloc Leader: Olivia Lucas, livylucas07@yahoo.com
Your assignment will be to write three detailed articles on one of the five topics below from the Northern perspective, approximately 300-400 words each. Keep in mind that the writing will be of reporter quality and in the present tense. The articles should not be overtly opinionated unless specified-- although a Northern bias is expected as a reporter of the Washington Post during the Civil War era.
Examining the Mexican War (include the US’s reasons, the terminating treaty, and the influential people involved).
Examining the evolving policies of the U.K. and other European nations towards slavery.
Examining westward expansionism (include transportation, legislation/treaties, major attractions to the west).
Examining the key provisions of the Women’s Rights Convention in New York.
Examining the key differences between the Whig, Democratic, Republican, and Know Nothing Parties.
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Footnotes:
[1] As HSC veterans will tell you, this is known as Mr. Foster’s Rule.
[2] The reason you are posting your papers online is two fold: it allows everyone in your bloc and the committee to review the papers and discuss your findings with you – and better prepare for the weekend. It also allows our college staff quicker access to your papers to provide you feedback in a timely manner.
[3] HSC veterans would quickly tell you being punctual (hint, early) is known as Mr. Reimer’s Rule. This rule does extend to the conference weekend. Failure to be on time (hint, early) to any session will result in you finding a comfortable seat on the sidelines of the simulation for a period of time – in addition to jeopardizing your entire bloc’s standing.
[4] Note: your bloc leaders prepared these questions. They might not encompass everything that will be examined during the weekend.
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2 comments:
Sidharth Sahni
John C. Fremont
Senate Block Position Paper
Washington Township, NJ
1)
California was a very diverse state at that time period. The population of California worked in very miscellaneous jobs. Such as Farmers, miners, and businessmen. However, that state seemed to be run by powerful businessmen that controlled majority of the states economic income. California had a lot of southerners that favored the Confederacy, however, the majority of people were against of slaver thus keeping California a free state
2)
John C. Fremont’s view on slavery and California’s view on slavery were similar to a certain extent. As I have mentioned before California was a very diverse state. It was inhabited by southern that felt that slavery should be permitted. However, the majority of the population, including Fremont himself, supported the union by sending gold to the east, recruiting and funding a limited number of combat units, maintaining numerous fortifications, and sending troops east. So I can say slavery was more of a moral issue in this state. As for the Underground Railroad and its activities, I can say Fremont, and most of California supported it. I can say this because Fremont had a strong stand on free soil in Kansas and he was against enforcement of the Fugitive slave law.
3)
Fremont was a very anti slavery man. And California for a most part was anti slavery state too. Freemont was a very radical anti slavery senator. He felt that slavery should be stopped from spreading, and that it should also be completely eliminated in pre existing slave states. Also the addition of California to the union started created havoc for the south because the felt that the north was starting to gain more power and the feared this would cause major problems for them in the future.
Series of measures passed by the U.S. Congress to settle slavery issues and avert secession. The crisis arose in late 1849 when the territory of California asked to be admitted to the Union with a constitution prohibiting slavery. The problem was complicated by the unresolved question of slavery's extension into other areas ceded by Mexico in 1848. In an attempt to satisfy pro- and antislavery forces, Sen. Henry Clay offered a series of measures that admitted California as a free state, left the question of slavery in the new territories to be settled by the local residents, and provided for the enforced return of runaway slaves and the prohibition of the slave trade in the District of Columbia. So Fremont feel happy about entering the union, but upset about fugitive slave law. So upset, that he completely ignored the fugitive slave law, and actually encouraged others to break the law too.
4)
There are many people and states that have same view as me, John Fremont. The people that seem to agree with me are the abolitionist. They too feel the slavery is a moral issue, and that slavery should not be permitted from spreading. In addition to that they feel that slavery should also be abolished from the current states. The states that seem to must agree with this idea are the northern states. They feel that slavery should be abolished also.
States that generally agree with me Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, and Wisconsin. As most of these states are in the north and they too take a strong stand against slavery. There really aren’t any northern states that disagree with me, because as a new states most of the other northern states feel complied to keep California happy and in the union. And they too agree with the California’s idea of anti slavery.
5)
John C. Fremont, belonged to the Republican party and his views were very much intact with the Republican views at that time. In fact the he became the first presidential candidate of the newly formed Republican party but lost the election to James Buchanan. Fremont was strongly opposed slavery, and he believed in abolishing slavery in all of the U.S. states. The Republican party did a great job in promoting his views. They too were a strong abolitionist party, and they too felt that slavery not only had to be stopped from spreading but completely abolished in the South. California was a strong promoter of this idea and stayed on with the union all through out the civil war. However, there were some southerners that felt that slavery should be allowed in California, but due to a minor number they had no power. There was a little bit tension due to this minor number of southerners. However, there was nothing upscale and Fremont did a great job in controlling any problems
Citations
http://www.sandiegohistory.org/journal/61april/civilwar.htm
http://www.answers.com/topic/john-c-fremont
http://www.sfmuseum.org/hist5/civwar.html
http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/USAcivilwar3.htm
Doug Fell
White House Block Position Paper
I am James Dobbin and my role within the bloc is Secretary of the Navy. Some of my
responsibilities include the authority to organize and conduct all aspects of the Department of the Navy. I am also in charge of the construction and repair of naval ships and equipment. In the past, I have graduated from the University of North Carolina. I have also served as a Member of Congress from 1845 to 1847, and a member of the North Carolina Legislature from 1848 to 1852. A year before being appointed to my current position, I served as a delegate to the 1852 Democratic National Convention. I am a proud member of the Democratic Party. The Democratic Party was founded on the basis that wisdom and compassion could be found within every individual and that a stable government should be formed upon this statement. We believe that America should be established on a popular, broad base. If I were to create my own political party, it would be established around law and the military. I am a very firm believer in the Navy and other military in our country. I firmly believe that a strong Navy and military serves as a huge advantage in achieving peace with other nations. The principles of my political party would be a lot like that of the Democratic Party, except the United States Navy would be particularly incorporated a bit more.
Three major issues I would be involved in would be the government and policies, slavery, and world peace. I will have to keep our government and its policies strong, even if many people disagree or feel it is the wrong decision. I will have to respond in difficult times by staying confident and keeping my views strong. I will have to respond to slavery and racism by keeping all men equal, and striving to keep the principles of our nation strong. Slavery is a big issue throughout America and it must be dealt with accordingly. The most important issue that I will be a part of is world peace and my duties as Secretary of the Navy. I am in charge of all operations in the Navy and plan on instituting reform throughout the Navy. I believe that a strong Navy is very important and eventually will lead to peace in everything we do as a country.
The mass movement of people to California due to the gold rush will affect the government and their policies very much. The sudden, extreme increase in population created some problems in the government. These people that had just migrated to California had to find places to live and had to follow the policies of the government. The government may even have to change or edit a few of their policies so that all the people can be treated fairly and justly. It wasn’t until 1851 that gold was discovered elsewhere and the pressure of the population was taken off the California government and its policies.
After the end of the Mexican-American War, the relationship between Mexico and America will be greatly effected. The United States made many gains in territory and took full control of California, New Mexico, and Texas. This exchanging of land led to even more conflicts between Mexico and America, as well as a few nations across the rest of the world. Another issue that caused conflict after the war was slavery. It was a big issue as to what would be the future of the states that were given up to America after the war. The outlaw of slavery was favored in the new states and it was later passed in Congress to end slavery in the newly gained states. Overall, the relationship between Mexico and the United States will never be the same again due to the war. Whether they are big or small, there will always be conflicts between these two countries.
With all the racism and strong opinions about slavery that exist in the world today, preventing an event such as Bleeding Kansas would be a very difficult task. However, I would go about doing this by placing severe consequences on anyone that chooses to act as those did at the time of Bleeding Kansas. An event like Bleeding Kansas can tear apart a nation and cause many problems. I would figure out a way to put an end to it and have everyone be peaceful with each other.
The building and expanding of railroads may have a slight impact on the government, but not a huge one. Mainly, railroads would be used for transporting goods to different places. With a larger and more advanced railroad system, the economy may be able to function better. A good economy will positively affect the government and strengthen it. Also, railroads can be used for the transportation of people as well, which can also positively affect the government. The expanding and reforming of railroads will always make our government and society better.
I am against slavery because I believe that all men are equal, and that nobody should have to serve another. All men should work for what they get and should earn everything. I also believe that the Missouri Compromise was done very well and nothing needs to be changed. It is a good document with a good message and the compromise has and will work out very well. I also believe that the Underground Railroad is very creative. It was the slaves’ way of trying to be free and freedom is something that everyone should have the right to. I have no problem with the Underground Railroad and it should continue as long as slavery does.
Relations between England and Mexico will affect America’s foreign policy simply because of the location of these two countries. These relations may affect the way America interacts with both England and Mexico. England and Mexico are America’s two closest neighbors, and whatever happens between those two could very well end up creating a problem for America.
I believe that the Compromise of 1850 will definitely help America to be successful in preventing a civil war because it is fair. The Compromise will be fair and just to all people. Although some people may not agree with the Compromise, I believe it was proposed very well by Henry Clay and should work out. Our country was very close to a civil war, but there is always a way to work it out and I believe the Compromise of 1850 did just that. It is a very effective Compromise and will be remembered in history.
Works Cited:
• http://www.democrats.org/a/party/history.html
• http://ceres.ca.gov/ceres/calweb/geology/goldrush.html
• http://ncamel214.tripod.com/id4.html
• http://www.nps.gov/archive/fosc/bleeding.htm
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