Dear Delegates,

My name is Jeremy Patashnik, and I’m excited to welcome you to the American Cabinet of the Bilingual JCC, Mexican-American War: The Eagle’s Destiny.  I’m very much looking forward to the four days we’ll spend together at the conference.

A little bit about me: I’m a junior at Harvard, concentrating in economics with a secondary in mind, brain, and behavior.  I’m originally from San Diego, CA and am very fond of the west coast and Mexican food.  In addition to my involvement in MUN, I’m an editor of the Harvard Political Review, the editor-in-chief of Satire V (Harvard’s version of The Onion), and I dabble in theater.  I’ve been participating in MUN since 7^th grade, and I have very much enjoyed staffing HNMUN for the past two years.

I am especially excited to direct this particular committee.  The mid-19^th century was an incredibly formative period in American history, and it will be fascinating to revisit it together.  We will begin committee in 1844, just after the election of President James K. Polk, and our first order of business will be to set the new president’s agenda as he prepares to take office.  For many Americans, the west was beckoning, and as the country grew, sectional tension between free states and slave states intensified.  These are the key themes we will be returning to during the four days of this conference, and while I know the historical aspects of this committee will make it a rich experience, what’s MUN without a little intrigue?  As the conference progresses and we move west, conflicts with our neighbor to the south will arise, and our crisis staff will keep you on your toes as you maneuver diplomatically, politically, and militarily to win the continent and maintain the Union.

If during your preparations, you encounter any questions about substantive or procedural elements of the committee, please don’t hesitate to email me at jpatashn@fas.harvard.edu.  I will be happy to address any questions or concerns.  I look forward to meeting you all!

Best,

Jeremy Patashnik
Director, Joint Cabinet Crisis: The Mexican-American War – American Cabinet
Harvard National Model United Nations 2011

Topic Area: Manifest Destiny

The year is 1844.  The United States is celebrating the election of its 11^th president, and the future of the Union is in your hands.  To the west, a vast continent, rich in resources, is waiting to be tamed, and the nation has given James K. Polk a mandate to expand our borders.  This, however, may be easier said than done, as sectional tension between free and slave states makes adding more territory to the United States a controversial business.  As advisors to President Polk, it is your job to guide the nation through this tumultuous period; strike deals, calm tensions, and go west!  But be careful as you do: we are not the only ones who have a claim to the western half of the American continent, and the road to manifest destiny may be filled with conflict and bloodshed.  As we expand our borders, the Mexican cabinet will push back, and delegates must maneuver politically, diplomatically, and militarily to defeat our neighbor to the south.  Become part of the first ever bilingual joint cabinet crisis as we relive one of the most important periods of American history.