British Colonies Velvet Divorce

There were some in Britain who felt that it would have been more advantageous to simply let the colonies go their own way. The basic idea was that Britain would still get most of the benefits of their trade, have a staunch ally in any colonial conflicts, and not have to deal with the cost of defending them.

So, lets say that this argument prevails and, at minimum, the thirteen colonies leave peacefully, with the possibility of some of the other mainland colonies joining them. Perhaps after some sort of plebiscite.

What might we see happen?

- No/minimal costs in manpower and treasure to either side.
- No romanticism of the war on the American side.
- Less bad blood, less chance for future conflicts analogous to 1812.
- Less economic strain on France, possibly forestalls their Revolution.
 
I think it is unlikely for a USA without the unifying features of the war and, more importantly, the figures that rose from the war, to even stay united. It's bigger than "less romanticism in the US," there would probably be no US.
 
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