Ah Challenge: Britain lets the colonies go

Unlikely, but is it possible? After Washington & co. declare the colonies independent, what could cause the Brits to just give up, and head home? Or is this ASB?
 
Well, the most likely Case is that a Plague or Anti-Monarch Revolution breaks out in the U.K. and thus allowing the colonies to leave the Empire (or cause them to try to dominate the people of Great Britain).

Another option is to have an economic/political relation between the Colonies and Mother Country were the M.C. makes more money from the Independent Countries (Maybe have the Colonies run like a modern Corporation or Something)

Still the Above could just be the BS of the ASB!:p
 
The British plan to infect America with smallpox and wipe out their armies is revealed after the epidemic is launched when somebody gets mugged. The letters are read in a coffee house near Parliament and the handwritin is recognised and publically attested to.
ALL the Americans and Canadian Tories change sides and go after the British army units and ships in harbor. North Americans were less likely to have been exposed to smallpox and are susceptible to infection.
The British navy is attacked by the French, Dutch, Portuguese, and Spanish navies, all at the same time. They are upset by the spreading of the smallpox epidemic to their colonies.
A new government is formed and sues for peace. The old government is sent to the Tower of London.
 

boredatwork

Banned
Simplest option would be to have France/Spain already attacking Britain over something else. Their involvement went a looong way to enabling success in OTL. If our declaration of independence takes advantage of their struggle (as opposed to the other way around) Britain might have already stripped the colonies of forces, and have bigger fish to fry.

So, one way would be a POD that involved the British in a major Europe focused war by 1774 or so. (1774 to give them time to strip the colonial garrisons prior to 1776). Such a war would likely increase taxation demands on the colonies, potentially tipping more loyalists over to the American side.

Another, simpler option, have the British government be broke at the time - financial troubles weren't that uncommon for European monarchies of the period, particularly with all the astonishingly expensive wars. If the UK can't afford to pay for the arms/ships/hessians/etc to beef up the forces in the colonies, they may decide it's not worth the bother & risk of domestic strife to raise local taxes & tarrifs to keep a bunch of yokels who don't want them around.

The ironic bit is that a peaceful separation could butterfly things like the 1812 war, the loyalist movement to Canada, the American political sport in the 19th century of yanking the lion's tail, and more. In addition to the first colonial independence movement being non violent, the non violent nature of the return to republicanism might have interesting effects by changing the 'model' for any potential (butterflies and whatnot) continental revolutions.
 

boredatwork

Banned
Oh, forgot. other interesting implication: -
no war of independence, = much weaker nationalism, so there may be no constitution, and the former colonies may go their separate ways.
Could lead to a more balkanized NA,
Could make a potential return to the Commonwealth (though as a self governing Dominion, at least) somewhat plausible.
 
Guys

Two questions if such an event occurred, which I think is pretty unlikely.

a) What would the borders be? very unlikely Britain would allow the new state to annex a lot of Canada as OTL. Could make a big difference if the Ohio stays as the border.

b) What would happen to the loyalists, who without a long bitter war might be more or less numerous?

Steve
 
The British plan to infect America with smallpox and wipe out their armies is revealed after the epidemic is launched when somebody gets mugged. The letters are read in a coffee house near Parliament and the handwritin is recognised and publically attested to.
ALL the Americans and Canadian Tories change sides and go after the British army units and ships in harbor. North Americans were less likely to have been exposed to smallpox and are susceptible to infection.
The British navy is attacked by the French, Dutch, Portuguese, and Spanish navies, all at the same time. They are upset by the spreading of the smallpox epidemic to their colonies.
A new government is formed and sues for peace. The old government is sent to the Tower of London.

WTF are you talking about?

Can you at least provide a link?
 
Unlikely, but is it possible? After Washington & co. declare the colonies independent, what could cause the Brits to just give up, and head home? Or is this ASB?

Have Britain be involved in a war in Europe and in Asia in the mid-to-late 1770s. Just ramp up that war to the point were they can't put up a credable field army in North America, so they have to let go the American colonies. This also sets the stage for a later war with US, so that Britain can avenge their humiliation over losing America.
 

HueyLong

Banned
If peace is offered earlier, separation won't be a term- negotiation was still looked upon as the ideal peace, even after the Declaration.
 
Have Britain be involved in a war in Europe and in Asia in the mid-to-late 1770s. Just ramp up that war to the point were they can't put up a credable field army in North America, so they have to let go the American colonies.
This is exactly what did happen.

This also sets the stage for a later war with US, so that Britain can avenge their humiliation over losing America.

And the war outside North America was so large that it made the necessity of giving up the American Colonies seem self evident. Thus there was no need for a re-match.
 
Why not have some reversal in India at the same time as the AWI? It makes the British government decide that colonies are too much agro and not required for trade.
 
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