North American Union

The North American Union (NAU) is a sovereign territory of the British Empire, encompassing the northern portion of the continent of North America(excepting Alaska, which was ruled by Russia).

Government
The North American Union is an integral part of the British Empire, although it maintains the trapping of an independent country. It has its own armed forces including an army and navy. Indeed, the British Royal Navy and Royal North American Navy are closely cooperating and co-equal organizations.

The North American Union also maintains its own system of diplomatic relations with other powers, which it can sever without needing the approval of London. Executive power is in the hands of the Governor General, and the opinion of the British Prime Minister does not count for much in the administration of the NAU.

The monarch is highly respected, and his/her good opinion is important to the North American Union. However, the king-emperor (or queen-empress) is a constitutional monarch who has no wish to exercise concrete power in the NAU

History
The North American Union's birth arose from a period of tension between the mother country and its colonies in North America. In the second half of the eighteenth century, in the period after the Seven Years' War, Britain passed several acts designed to closely administer its expanded empire. Tensions mounted as the American colonists grew frustrated with a lack of representation in the British parliament.

In an effort to stave off revolution and war, noted American military leader George Washington led a delegation to the court of King George III. Washington and the king were able to forge an agreement insuring that North America would remain part of the British Empire. This event is commemorated in a Thomas Gainsborough painting titled The Two Georges and has itself become a symbol of national unity.