JCC Redcoats
Chair: Peter Kiley
PO/Vice Chair: Dennis Sopic
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Table of Contents
3. Letter from Chair
5. Members of Committee
8. Committee Background
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Hello Delegates,
On behalf of Lyons Township High School’s Model United Nations Club, we welcome
you to LYMUN III! My name is Peter Kiley, and I will be serving as your chair for the British
side of our American Revolution Joint Crisis Committee. I am in my senior year, and this is my
second year participating in Model UN. Last year, I was the Political officer for SPECPOL at
LYMUN II.
Because it is a Joint Crisis Committee, this committee may be different than your past
Model UN experience. The starting date of this committee is July 5, 1776 and it only has one
topic, the American Revolutionary War, which is incredibly broad. By having such a broad
topic, I hope to place an emphasis on your ability to think on your feet, as well as limit your
ability to prepare for specific events or crises that may take place during the course of the
conference.
Although this is a training conference, this committee is designed for more experienced
delegates, so less time will be spent going over the basics of MUN than in other committees at
LYMUN III. In regards to awards, I will look for a number of things. As previously stated, I
will look for the ability to think on your feet and adequately respond to the crises presented to the
committee (responses to crises should be feasible). Also, it is important to be able to deliver
good and concise speeches, and write solid resolutions to conflicts in the committee. In addition,
unnecessarily backstabbing delegates would be frowned upon, as it is important to strive to solve
the problem at hand, not to win an award.
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If you have any questions, even if you deem them as trivial or insignificant, feel free to
email me at [email protected]. I look forward to meeting and working with all of you;
good luck in committee!
Best Regards,
Peter Kiley
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Members in Committee:
1. Frederick North, 2nd Earl of Guilford [Lord North]- Lord North had a long political
history. He held various government positions, but most significantly, he was Prime
Minister and Chancellor of the Exchequer for much of the war.
2. William Howe, 5th Viscount Howe- William Howe joined the army in 1746, and quickly
rose through the rankings. He served as Commander-in-Chief of British army in North
America* from 1775-1778.
3. Richard Howe, 1st Earl Howe- Richard Howe was a naval officer during the Seven
Years’ War. He became a naval commander and peace commissioner during the
revolutionary war.
4. William Franklin- William Franklin was the illegitimate son of Ben Franklin, and a
steadfast Loyalist. His loyalty caused him a great deal of arrests, but he remained a
Loyalist for the whole war. He was also President of the Board of Associated Loyalists.
5. Sir William Johnson- As a young man Johnson learned the Mohawk language and
Iroquois customs, which allowed him to play a key role in Native relations as the British
Superintendent of Indian affairs.
6. Joseph Brant- Mohawk military leader who rose to power because of his education,
abilities, and connections to British officials. He led both Mohawks and American
Loyalists during the war.
7. William Petty, 1st Marquess of Lansdowne- Served in the army during the Seven Years’
War, later became involved in politics. British prime minister during last few months of
war, succeeded in securing peace with Colonies.
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8. Sir Henry Clinton- Henry Clinton was a British general and politician. He succeeded
General William Howe as British Commander-in-Chief of the American forces* in
1778. However, he is best known for his service as a general during the revolution.
9. Charles Cornwallis, 1st Marquess Cornwallis- Charles Cornwallis was a British army
officer and colonial administrator. He was one of the leading generals for the British
during the war.
10. William Allen- One of the wealthiest and most powerful men in Philadelphia at time of
war, believed in constitutional means rather than war. Because he disapproved of the
independence movement, he was a Loyalist.
11. Simon Girty- Simon Girty was taken captive and then adopted by Seneca indians. He
was a Loyalist and because of his history, a liaison between Native Americans and
Britain
12. Thomas “Burnfoot” Brown- He intended to be a quiet colonial landowner, but after being
taken prisoner by the Sons of Liberty, Thomas Brown became an active Loyalist.
13. Lord William Campbell- Served in the Royal Navy and after moving to the colonies and
marrying a woman from South Carolina, Lord William Campbell became governor of
South Carolina. He was a Loyalist and at the beginning of the war he fled to England.
14. John Burgoyne- John Burgoyne was a British army officer and politician. He was
promoted to major general early in the war by William Barrington.
15. Myles Cooper- Myles Cooper was an Anglican priest who was a Loyalist and the second
president of King’s College (Columbia University). He argued that all forms of
opposition to the crown constituted treason.
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16. Joseph Galloway- Joseph Galloway was an American politician who, after serving as a
delegate of the First Continental Congress, slowly moved towards more Loyalist
views. He moved to Britain in 1778, where he was a leader of the Loyalist movement
and advisor to the government.
17. William Augustus Bowles- Bowles was a Maryland born English adventurer who
organized the attempt to create a Native American state outside of the control of any
European power. He served in the British Army from a young age and because of this
was a liaison between the Natives and the British.
18. George Germain, 1st Viscount Sackville- George Germain was a British soldier and
politician who served as the Secretary of State for America in Lord North’s cabinet.
19. Jeffery Amherst, 1st Baron Amherst- Jeffery Amherst was a British officer who
served as a general in the beginning of the war, eventually being promoted to
Commander in Chief of the Forces*, giving him a seat in Lord North’s cabinet.
20. William Barrington, 2nd Viscount Barrington- William Barrington was a British
politician who served as the Secretary at War in Lord North’s cabinet.
* The British Army had multiple Commanders in Chief. Jeffery Amherst was the Commander in
Chief of the entire army, while William Howe/Henry Clinton were Commanders in Chief of the
British forces in North America.
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Committee Background
The Beginning of Colonization
The late 16th century marked the beginning of large scale European
colonization. Throughout the “New World”, many European countries were establishing
settlements which eventually would become towns, and even colonies in some cases. North
America was mainly colonized by the French, British, and Spanish. Each nation was there for
different reasons, but each one wanted more land for their crown. This caused many disputes
between each nation’s settlers and between the settlers and
the Natives. However, by 1850, the British established a
dominant presence along the Atlantic Coast, allowing
Great Britain to become a larger player in the “New
World”.
British Colonization
British settlement began with Sir Walter Raleigh
and 100 men attempting to settle in Roanoke Island in
1585. The harsh winter sent them back to Great Britain
until 1587, when John White led another voyage to Roanoke. The settlement White set up
mysteriously disappeared after he spent three years in Great Britain, and this discouraged British
settlement in North America until 1606. The first British colony was Jamestown, which was
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founded in 1607. It was established by 105 men sent by the Virginia Company, a joint-stock
company. These men were in search of land, gold, and other natural resources to claim for their
crown. Another early British settlement was the Plymouth Colony, established by Separatists
seeking religious freedom. Led by William Bradford, they were en route to the Virginia Colony
when a storm blew them off course, and they landed in modern day Cape Cod,
Massachusetts. The Plymouth settlement was eventually de-established in 1691, but voyages
such as the two above is what led to the establishment of the Thirteen Colonies. The map to the
left shows all the Thirteen Colonies, the
last of which was Georgia, founded in
1732 by James Ogelthorpe.
Events Leading Up to the
War
The origin of conflict between
the colonies and Great Britain was the French and Indian War, also known as the Seven Years
War. The war left Great Britain in massive debt, and to pay off this debt Britain began to tax the
colonies more and more. The end of the war also called for celebration among the colonies
because many new frontiers were now open for exploring. However, the royal proclamation of
1763 did much to dampen the celebration in the colonies. Because many of the Native tribes
feared that the British settlers would continue their westward expansion and drive them out of
their rightful land, the King closed off the frontier to all westward expansion. This made the
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colonists feel a strong resentment toward the crown because they felt as though they were being
put on a leash so they would be easier to regulate, which was true to some extent. In the years
following the proclamation, the British took advantage of how easily they could regulate the
colonies. They passed multiple acts which increased taxation of the colonies, such as the Stamp
Act and Sugar Act. The colonists quickly protested, and acts like these led the phrase “No
taxation without representation” to become popular. Also, passed shortly after the proclamation
were the Currency Act of 1764 and Quartering act of
1765. These acts caused disarray in the colonies, and
led to Patrick Henry’s “If this be treason, make the most
of it!” speech in 1765. There were many other conflicts
between 1765 and the start of the war, but to address
each one would be a waste of space, so here is a list of
some notable conflicts you may want to be familiar
with:
1766: The Declaratory Act
1767: The Townshend Revenue Act
1768: Boston Non-Importation Agreement
1770: The Boston Massacre
1772: The Gaspee Affair
1773: The Tea Act
The Boston Tea Party
1774: Boston Port Act, one of the "Intolerable Acts"
Administration of Justice Act, one of the "Intolerable Acts"
Massachusetts Government Act, one of the "Intolerable Acts"
Quartering Act of 1774, one of the "Intolerable Acts"
Quebec Act, one of the "Intolerable Acts"
The First Continental Congress
Battle of Point Pleasant, Virginia (disputed as to whether it was a battle of the American
Revolution or the culmination of Lord Dunmore's War)
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1775: Patrick Henry's "Give me liberty or give me death" speech
The Rides of Paul Revere and William Dawes
Events Leading Up to the Declaration
The battle at Lexington and Concord,
referred to as “The shot heard ‘round the
world”, marked the beginning of the
revolutionary war. Soon after, the Second
Continental Congress met in Philadelphia, and
it was decided that continental army would be
established with George Washington as the
Commander in Chief. A few months after
this, the Battle of Bunker Hill took
place. This battle showed the strength of the American army, and even though the Americans
eventually lost the battle, it led the King to treat this conflict as a foreign war. The British now
knew that despite their military superiority, they had a long war ahead of them. There were
multiple other battles between the beginning of the war and the Declaration, but
Lexington/Concord and Bunker Hill were two of the most significant. In addition to a solid
army, the colonist’s morale was also becoming much higher. A large factor in this was the
publication of Thomas Paine’s “Common Sense”, which gave multiple reasons as to why
American independence was necessary. In the months following this, many American delegates
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met at the Continental congress to draft the Declaration of Independence. On July 4, 1776, this
Declaration was adopted by the congress and it proclaimed the colonies as 13 sovereign states
under one nation.
Bibliography
http://www.ushistory.org/declaration/revwartimeline.html
http://chnm.gmu.edu/tah-loudoun/blog/lessons/early-english-settlements-history-detectives/
http://www.americaslibrary.gov/jb/colonial/jb_colonial_subj.html
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Winning the War
Obviously, the focus of the committee will be to win the war. To do so, this committee
needs to work together and work efficiently. This means that many of the members must set
aside personal differences and ulterior motives and focus on the cause that everyone can get
behind: defeating the rebels and keeping the land that Great Britain has the rightful claim
to. There are many aspects that the members will have to focus on, but here are some of the key
aspects essential to a British victory:
Military and Financial Advantages
Great Britain has many advantages going into the war. One of the most significant and
obvious advantages is that the British army is much larger and far better trained, paid, and fed
than the militia it will be fighting against. In addition to this, the Royal Navy is the strongest
naval force in the world. Another advantage is that it is much easier for the crown to raise
money for the war than it is for the rebels. These advantages will hopefully culminate into a
British victory, but it is important not to overlook the strength of the rebels. The members of the
committee have to decide how to draw upon these advantages in order to make up for the
strategic disadvantage that the British have because they are not fighting on their home front.
Native Support
The last aspect leads quite nicely into the next key aspect: gaining Native support. The
most significant disadvantage the British have is that the rebels know the lands far better than the
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British soldiers. However, the Native Americans call this land home, so gaining support from
the Natives would almost completely negate the disadvantage. The Natives have an animosity
for the colonists because they are the ones forcing them from their lands, so the British can
assure them that when they win, they will tighten the reins on the colonists. Also, the British
already have connections with a few Natives, namely Joseph Brant, but gaining as much support
as possible would be extremely beneficial to the British cause. The members of the committee
will have to gain as much Native support as possible in order to negate the rebel’s home
advantage.
France
If the British can gain Native support, then the war will be heavily in favor of the
British. The only other significant disadvantage is that the French are enemies of Great Britain,
so they will be quick to undermine the British. However, because of their current state due to
their recent loss of the Seven Years’ War, a possible alliance with the colonies would not be
game changing. It is just another thing to consider because the rebels will need all the support
they can get if they want any chance at defeating the great British army.
Questions to Consider
1. What is our overarching and most effective military/diplomatic strategy regarding the
colonies?
2. Is war the only possible solution to this dilemma?
3. What allies do we have/can recruit to help us in this conflict? Are the Natives a feasible
option for an alliance?
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4. How can we eliminate the possible threat of a French-American alliance?
5. How should we continue to supply our troops in North America both financially & physically
if the war lasts longer than expected?
Bibliography
http://franceintheus.org/spip.php?rubrique100
http://www.ushistory.org/us/11a.asp
https://www.mpm.edu/wirp/ICW-144.html
Further Research
1. http://www.history.com/topics/american-revolution/american-revolution-history
2. http://www.revolutionary-war.net/causes-of-the-american-revolution.html
3. http://www.history.org/almanack/life/politics/4thjuly.cfm
4. http://www.ushistory.org/us/10e.asp
5. http://www.ushistory.org/us/11.asp
6. http://www.theamericanrevolution.org/battles.aspx
7. http://www.theamericanrevolution.org/people.aspx
8. http://www.mountvernon.org/educational-resources/encyclopedia/appointmentcommander-ch
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