Unification of the Caribbean
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Unification of the Caribbean Committee Official Soundtrack ™ BearMUN 2020 Chair: Ammar Ansari Crisis Director: Sameer Kazim Table of Contents I. Welcome Letters II. Committee Guidelines III. Reference Map IV. Historical Background A. Before “The Golden Age of Piracy” B. European Struggles C. War of Spanish Succession 1. European Theater 2. Caribbean Theater D. Privateers and Piracy E. Discovery of Uncharted Islands V. Current Situation VI. Questions to Consider VII. Character List BearMUN 2020 1 Dear Delegates, My name is Ammar Ansari, and it is my privilege to serve as your Chair for the Unification of the caribbean committee at BearMUN 2020! I am thrilled to observe delegates engage in interesting and entertaining discussions regarding piracy during a significant historical period in the Caribbean. The history of piracy is quite fantastic, and the Caribbean Sea has been a hotspot for pirate activity. While we have learned of pirates from American popular culture growing up, the actual activities of these seafaring men and women are quite fascinating to read about. Politics, alliances, treasures, and swordfights… all together in this historical moment! I believe that the story and arcs in this committee will provide you with a fun and memorable delegate experience. As for myself, I am deeply passionate about international relations, history, cooking, adventuring, and meme-making! I was born in Fremont, California to two Pakistani immigrants and was raised in Sacramento for most of my life. I am also proud to be a transfer student from Sacramento City College, graduating with two Associates Degrees within one year before transferring to University of California, Berkeley. I am currently a double major in History and Political Science, and plan to graduate by Spring 2022. I also plan to study under the General Course at the London School of Economics during my senior year, since the COVID-19 pandemic forced me to change my original plan for participation in my junior year. Developing the Unification of the caribbean committee with Sameer Kazim (my roommate!) has been a great honor, and I am positive that his creativity and guidance will bring great momentum to the committee and make this a delegate-led experience to remember! We look forward to seeing you at sea…I mean, at BearMUN! Sincerely yours, Ammar Ansari Chair Unification of the Caribbean BearMUN 2020 2 Hello Delegates! My name is Sameer Kazim. I will be serving as your Crisis Director for the Unification of the caribbean committee at BearMUN, and I could not be more excited. I have had an affinity for the romanticized idea of caribbean Pirates from a very young age. I’ve seen dozens of movies, tv shows, and online series on the subject, and I’ve kept coming back for more every time. Something about the idea of sailing out on the open ocean, crashing against the waves and belting sea shanties with your comrades screams the allure of romanticism to me. That (and perhaps a certain Ubisoft game) have cemented my love for the sea. Seriously, if you’ve ever driven down the California-1 highway, you know exactly what I am talking about. A little about myself. I am a second year studying Data Science and Economics, and plan on pursuing a career in litigation and eventually public office in the future. I was born in India, but moved to Sacramento, CA when I was little; that’s how I know your Chair! #ForeverPurple. Since then, I’ve always been a huge fan of reading novels, watching videos on filmography on youtube, and playing games with my friends. This is also how I’ve managed to stay sane during the quarantine! I’m also a huge fan of movies, and am working my way through the X-Men series right now. My favorites include Jurassic Park, The Grand Budapest Hotel, and The Shawshank Redemption, and I’m always up to talk about films. I am a huge fan of Hamilton, I’ve known nearly every line in the show since 2016, and it’s just never gotten old for me. I’ve never gotten to see the show though, but I’m willing to “Wait for It”. I can’t wait to take on this project with my partner, and roommate, Ammar. His patience, poise, and understanding will be assets to this team. I am always available as a resource to you and your fellow delegates, so please don’t hesitate to reach out! I look forward to embarking on this voyage with you, Sincerely, Sameer Kazim Crisis Director Unification of the Caribbean BearMUN 2020 3 Committee Guidelines Committee is set to commence in the year 1718, on the island of New Providence. Piracy, especially in the Caribbean Sea, is one of the most complex phenomena during this historical era. This committee seeks to combine history with creativity and strategy. However, as it is commonly known, the deeper into an historical account, the fewer records we have about the events that have occurred. The information you compile may not be extremely accurate; in fact, a lot of it may be based on legends. For the purposes of this committee, it is more important to understand the general historical background and the political dynamics of the time rather than the specific actions of individuals. The character list should provide you with a general sense of your character, and it is up to you to develop your character during the committee. Your portfolio powers will indicate the resources you will have, but it is never too early to start thinking about how to execute your ambitions! In terms of Crisis Notes and Backroom, drawn out and developed arcs will be appreciated. We know that many of you have great ambitions in your backroom progress, so make sure your bases are covered and your portfolio powers are being used wisely. However, be warned: arcs exploiting COVID-19, genocide, sexual violence, and racism will not be entertained. Additional research upon this period of history is highly encouraged, but you must proceed with caution—some of these pirates have never encountered each other! If there is any confusion or clarifications needed, please do not hesitate to reach out to us; we are more than happy to help you out! As BearMUN 2020 4 always, we strive to make our committee the best it can be, and we hope that you are excited too! Enjoy your research; we look forward to meeting you at BearMUN! BearMUN 2020 5 Reference Map BearMUN 2020 6 Historical Background Before “The Golden Age of Piracy” Before the first European contact in the Caribbean in 1492, there were predominantly three groups of indigenous peoples settled in the islands: the Ciboney, the Caribs, and the Taino. ● The Ciboney - settled in modern-day Cuba, the name comes from an Arawak term for “cave dweller”. Their linguistic characteristics and origins are mostly unknown, but many of their technologies were derived from seashells. However, a century after European contact with the Caribbean, much of Ciboney culture would go extinct, with some descendants surviving to this day.1 ● The Caribs - settled in the Lesser Antilles, the name of the indigenous people would be used as the root of the term Caribbean Sea. Speaking predominantly the Arawak language, the Caribs were maritime people. One popular activity was conducting sea raids, which would serve as their main source of warfare.2 ● The Taino - settled in the Greater Antilles, the Taino was the most numerous indigenous people in the Caribbean. The Taino was in constant hostility with 1 “The Indigenous Peoples.” GlobalSecurity.org, 31 March 2013. https://www.globalsecurity.org/military/world/cuba/indigenous.htm. 2 “The Carib.” Sheppard Software. https://www.sheppardsoftware.com/carribeanweb/factfile/Unique-facts-Caribbean5.htm. BearMUN 2020 7 the Ciboney, but would focus much of their activities on agriculture. However, much of Taino culture and population dramatically declined due to Spanish conquests of the 16th century. 3 Many of these indigenous groups began settling in the region around 8,000 years ago, reaching the land by canoeing from Central and northern South America. Indigenous culture and societies flourished across the sea, advancing in fishing techniques, metallurgy, linguistics, and administration, to name a few.4 Shortly after Columbus arrived in the Caribbean in 1492, Spain and Portugal developed a strong interest in colonizing what they termed as, “The New World”. The two colonial powers already had strong imperial interest in both Africa and India, which resulted in a strong, hostile rivalry between the two. However, the two colonial nations did not want to initiate an expensive war with one another, so they settled with a treaty that divided up much of the Western Hemisphere. In June 1494, Spain and Portugal, under the supervision of the Catholic Church, signed the Treaty of Tordesillas.5 The treaty implemented a line of demarcation in the Atlantic Ocean, about 345 miles west of the Cape Verde Islands. All land east of that line was claimed by 3 “The Indigenous Peoples.” GlobalSecurity.org, 31 March 2013. https://www.globalsecurity.org/military/world/cuba/indigenous.htm. 4 “Culture.” United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs. United Nations. https://www.un.org/development/desa/indigenouspeoples/mandated-areas1/culture.html. 5 “Jun 7, 1494 CE: Treaty of Tordesillas.” National Geographic. National Geographic Society. https://www.nationalgeographic.org/thisday/jun7/treaty-tordesillas/. BearMUN 2020 8 Portugal and all land west of that line was claimed by Spain. As such, much of the Caribbean Sea was under Spanish occupation, and became known as the Spanish Main. European Struggles After the signing of the Treaty of Tordesillas, Spain and Portugal began profiting tremendously from their imperial efforts.