Greater New England (AKA Atlantica)

Greater New England (GNE, AKA Atlantica) is a federal democracy in northeastern North Virginia. It comprises the St. Lawrence River basin in Laurentia [IRL Ontario, Quebec, and Labrador] to the north and west, Massachusetts [IRL Rhode Island, eastern Massachusetts, coastal New Hampshire, and Maine] and West Acadia [IRL New Brunswick] through to Nova Scotia to the south, and the tropical isle of New Cambria [IRL Newfoundland] to the east. Boston, Montreal, Quebec, and Halifax formed early major population centers for European settlers.

Foundation of Greater New England
In the 1740s Virginian colonies along the Atlantic coast (inspired by the Gaelic spirit of independence in the decades following the failure of the Acts of Union) moved to separate themselves from their European rulers. New nations formed from some of the colonies, but Greater New England opted to enter into negotiations with the Crown and Parliament for home rule on terms more favorable to the former colonies. With major fracturing on continental Europe on the one side and continued repercussions stemming from the failed Act of Union and subsequent struggles with the Gaels on the other, the Crown recognized the wisdom of retaining allies in Virginia, weak though they were. In 1750, a combined group of setters from Massachusetts and KLB established the Town of Halifax after extensive negotiations with the Mi'kmaq tribes residing there, who called the area K'jipuktuk, (pronounced "che-book-took"). The town was made the capital of the colony.

Negotiations for a Maritime Union of Atlantica comprising the above-mentioned provinces began in earnest in the 1770s, with the formation of the Crown Principality of Atlantica in 1776. John Adams of Braintree, Massachusetts, was installed as the first Chief Consul to the British Crown.

The British Parliament’s inclusion of Atlantican MPs after the death of [King] further encouraged improved relations between the Crown and its Atlantican subjects in the following decades. Adopting the principle of "responsible government," Atlanticans pushed for reforms to allow for more representative self government. In an effort to appease the Atlantians, the Crown acceded to the Atlantican proposal for the creation of Greater New England (GNE) as a new country (comprising the six provinces of Massachusetts, Laurentia, West Acadia, East Acadia, Nova Scotia, and New Cambria) with the Constitutional Conventions of 1832 and 34. The move was viewed from the Crown’s perspective as a means to block European ambitions for Virginian territories to the west through the creation of a buffer state loyal to the Crown. Concerned with being absorbed back as a colony, however, GNE delegates also prevailed upon Gael, [Drostan], Suevia, and other European powers for formal diplomatic recognition and political separation.

While Greater New England benefited from its long affiliation with its former mother country, it also enjoyed growing autonomy and influence in the Virginias. Inclusively, GNE adopted its own parliamentary system [IRL modeled off a hybrid of the Westminster System and concepts derived from the US Constitution]. In the international arena, it partnered with the Gael Empire on ocean voyages along the Virginian coast to secure possession of those territories. Armed with wanderers' hearts and farmers' thrifty work ethics, GNE settlers boarded Gael ships bound for settlement all along the Virginian continent.

Virginian Front of the First Great War
As part of KLB, GNE was on the front lines of the First Great War (GW1), stemming the tide of Impero American (IA) expansion along the Great Lakes at Lake Eire. Following the war, land won in Ontario by KLB was granted to the Hudson Bay Company (HBC) rather than GNE, an act that was viewed as intolerable by GNE MPs in Parliament.

Break with KLB and Role in the Formation of the FCN
The Crown's arbitrary decision to grant Ontario to the HBC was but one of many made by the Crown in favor of large traders to the detriment of the people living in the KLB colonies over the next two decades. Moreover, the Crown's grab of Aquitaine from the French during the war was seen not as its rightful return to the Kingdom but as an opportunistic land grab by French-speaking Atlanticans. On March 21, 1936, five of the largest KLB colonies in the Virginias formally declared independence from the KLB. In a speech given in the GNE House of Representatives, Giles Rucher read the declaration, which cited certain inalienable human freedoms (freedom of speech and expression, freedom to worship God according to one's own conscience, freedom from want, and freedom from fear) as the basis of government. The Crown offered no rebuttal to the speech or the declaration, and GNE joined the FCN as a charter member.

Second Great War and Aftermath
As an independent nation, GNE did not initially join with KLB on the European Front during the Second Great War (GW2), instead remaining neutral in the conflict.

With the occupation of the Kingdom of Hawaii and subsequent bombing of Long Beach, Lower California, LCD, by the Japanese Prosperity Collective (GNE), GNE joined other FCN members in declaring war on the JPC. As the JPC was allied with the Imperial Republic (IR), the IR declared war on the nations of the FCN, including GNE. GNE had limited involvement in Europe but provided significant material and personnel support to LCD, RA, and later Texas and Amazonia as they became more involved.

Today Atlantica enjoys the benefit of being a nation of influence disproportionate with its population. As a founding member of the FCN, it stands as the standard bearer of the principles of responsible representative government of, by, and for the people in a world where most nations are controlled by a few powerful individuals.