Why didn't Britain ever try to retake the United States? (Short Animated Documentary)

After the US Revolution was over Britain just sort of accepted that America was free and never made any real effort to end it or recapture some of its old colonies. So why not? To find out watch this short and simple animated history documentary.

A special thanks to my Patreon supporters below:

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[salahabdalla]

2:24 "Everyone died for nothing" is disturbingly common

[Quin_Ram]

If The U.K retook The U.S.A, everyone would’ve been speaking English by now.

[Ralphieboy]

Well phrased: "redrawing the map of Europe" not to prevent future wars but "to prevent future wars from becoming Britain's problem"...Sums up the Congress of Vienna quite well. And the Versailles Conference as well.

[JoeSchmoer]

I'm genuinely impressed with how well you can sum up topics like this. It's both extremely simplified but also essentially the whole story at the same time.

[BartlomiejDmowski]

Love how Britain behaved like a parent of a rebellious kid
„You want to live on your own? Fine! Let’s see how long it takes till you come back and admit I was always right”

[AaronMichaelLong]

One thing to point out is that Britain's recent experience with Cromwell is why they were very skeptical about the American Republic being able to surive. They expected Washington to be a second Cromwell. Which is why, when he declined to hold onto power, he won a fair amount of respect and admiration from his contemporaries in the old country, including, allegedly, George III himsefl.

[squibload]

You guys need to review the The War of 1812

[bonaggy]

I think a lot of people forget that the British Empire was foremost a mercantile one and had other irons in the fire, so to speak. Around that time, Britain was focused on expanding its market network further into India and beyond where it could source exotic goods. Our exports to the New World colonies made that life possible and enabled them to have a high standard of living. IIRC, America imported 80% of its manufactured goods from Britain prior to the war. In return, America exported cash crops; fish, rice, tobacco, and wood among others.

Apart from the Seven Years War and the Revolutionary War; most of the British focus was on expanding markets in India. I think cooler heads in Britain prevailed; we’d lost the American colonies, the effort to try and take it back was logistically and financially excessive; we had a significant market there still and our traders wanted to instead develop that into a major trading partner, which war would obviously interfere with. In the Treaty of Paris, Britain took quite a far-sighted approach and concluded it with this future trade in mind. We were not getting the colonies back, we settled borders (as we understood them at the time), and both countries continued to benefit from the trade. Much to France’s chagrin, no doubt. They had invested a lot into the American Revolution that they really couldn’t afford. I think they’d been banking on becoming the major US trade partner on its independence. It didn’t happen. Of course, with their own efforts to raise taxes to pay for their involvement led to their own revolutionary problems.

There will always be those in both governments who wanted to see each other fail, of course there were, but the majority within their respective governments realised that the better option was to put the war behind them and go with enlightened self interest: focusing on the option that benefitted them the most.

[matthewheald]

That “Everyone Died for Nothing” with all the bigass smiley faces almost made me choke on my water.

[dragonsword]

Because Americans microwave tea and the British were so disgusted they never wanted to come back

[josephmoffatt]

It was very appropriate that you posted this video one day after July 4th.

[DrVictorVasconcelos]

People don't realize how rich India was. There was no reason whatsoever to focus on the US with that prize. In hindsight it sounds crazy, but that's just how it was.

[timmccarthy]

A video about the aftermath of American independence, the day after the Fourth of July. Clever

[_Queen_Marika]

Yeah when i was younger I was genuinely scared the British would retake the US and force feed us their best brand of tea called "Urinal"

[ConnorSchafer]

Thank you for not drawing this out into a 5 part series

[Chickenbowser]

I love Alexander Hamilton's signature being scribbled with crayon. Such a perfect little detail.

[repippeas]

There was also no need to retake America. Pomeranz's book "The Great Divergance" touches on this, there was no need for the UK to invade the US as they only needed it for its resources (rather than say, its taxes or manpower) and since the US embraced free marketeerism it could just buy these resources on the market just as before the revolution. Given that America was now self-govening and self-defending, it actually remvoed the costs for the British empire, but not the benefits. Essentially American independence was a win-win.

[jediroya]

1:26 impressed at your knowledge of Papal Avignon, Salm and Montbeliard.

[TheScottishBeta]

Love your work 🎉 always a good break from the serious history stuff thanks!

[toastyanon]

A fact I find important noting is that the British were more worried about France or Spain instead of the young USA. If Hurting the USA came at the expense of granting Colonial Spain an edge, the British would've preferred to help the USA instead of a Continental Rival.