WI/AHC: European metropoles relocate elsewhere?

Another thing to, if the 13 Colonies had'nt rebelled, they'd never have become as populous; America's population ballooned so much because of what it represented at the time, if America remains British then their will never be that big motivation to move to America specifically, rather they'll just either move around Europe or disperse more equally among the various colonies in the America's and South Africa and Oceania.

I'm an enormous admirer of what the United States achieved and represented, but I really don't think this is true. America's population boomed because it had a stable government and large amounts of unpopulated high quality farm land a relatively short distance from Europe, where poor peasants from Europe could have far higher living standards. People were as happy to go to Ontario as Michigan.
 
Except the ARW would probably just mean that British North America would declare independence peacefully several decades later, just as Canada did in 1867. I doubt you will be able to stop them leaving peacefully.

I think independence is probably more likely than federation, but I think the latter is reasonably plausible.

I also highly doubt the place would federalise. The US federalised under fear of the threat, and the only thing that drove Canadian federation was the perceived need for unity to stop each state being swallowed up by US. I don't see what federalisation would achieve that they wouldn't get from some loose imperial association. I can perhaps see the smaller states clubbing together to form a New England or Chesapeake union, but that's about it.
 
Perhaps an empire could end up like South Africa, with several capitols for different branches of government.
 
Britain allows the Netherlands to retain control of the New Netherlands (i.e. NY, NJ, Delaware) in the 1660s. A century or so later on France manages to seize control of the [original] Netherlands, perhaps through a 'client' regime, and when Britain (for one reason or another) reluctantly recognises this fact the Dutch government-in-exile relocates from London to Nieuw Amsterdam...
 
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