The British reaction to the loss of the American Colonies was certain to be one of shock, and indeed, absolute revulsion, the ramifications of which would continue to be felt for decades. First, it's important to remember that American victory was not something that the British public had been prepared for, as wartime propaganda heavily emphasized the overwhelming domination of the Redcoats over the Minutemen. Following Charles Cornwallis's surrender at Yorktown in 1781, Parliament convened to discuss how to break the inevitability of defeat to the public. After weeks of debate, parliament agreed that there was only one viable option: Convince the public that the War had been won. To that effect, Lord North approved the shuttering of 8 popular newspapers in London alone, and in the first instance of nationalization in European History, the British Army seized total control of merchant shipping so as to prevent the truth from leaking in through ports of entry.

This was not without its opponents. One such man, Henry Hurle, would found the Ancient Order of Druids the following month. While today little more than a fraternity, the Druids as initially founded were nothing short of a rebel organization, which sought to overthrow George III and reinstate a Dictatorship in the style of Oliver Cromwell. The druids took heavy inspiration from the contemporary Bavarian Illuminati, and indeed, Illuminati founder Adam Weishaupt was a close friend of Henry Hurle.

Perhaps the most notable incidence of Druid activity occurred in the January of 1783, when at least 5 men lit dozens of fires in the city of Birmingham, and even succeeded in detonating a munitions storehouse there. At least 15 were killed in what was the largest Terrorist Attack in British history until 1974. George III was the target of at least three assassination attempts in 1782 alone, and it has been theorized by some scholars that it was the trauma of these attacks that led to the king's late-life insanity.

In addition to the sudden new restrictions on merchant shipping and the press, the British government strengthened its espionage capabilities--largely in an attempt to fracture the Druids. The Red Guard Organization was established from a group of well trained British officers to function as the state's first professional spy agency. With an estimated 300 agents in 1783, RGO missions, which included numerous warrantless police raids against suspected Druids, and even the extrajudicial and secret killing of suspects, would see the deaths of over 70 people. The RGO was even active overseas, and their cooperation with the Duke of Bavaria heavily contributed to the downfall of the Illuminati 1785.

But even after the defeat of the Druids and Illuminati, the Red Guards remained very powerful. Being exceptionally well funded owing to large taxes on commercial shipping, the Red Guards expanded their reach throughout the late 1780s. In 1788, Prime Minister William Pitt was forced to relinquish control over the press, which was now to be administered by the Red Guards.

With control of the press, the Red Guards now had the ability to control the public perception of the American Revolution and its aftermath. Despite their best efforts, they had been unable to really conceal the truth about the war, and finally, the British government was forced to admit defeat to the public in December of 1788. A horrified public took to the streets in London, and at one point had Buckingham Palace fully surrounded. Now terrified at the prospect of revolution, Parliament called on the Red Guards to quell the rioters, promising to give concessions in return for their service. Red Guards killed dozens of protesters, and the crowd was dispersed. Protest leaders were rounded up to be secretly executed--and apparently to be used as pig feed.

The Red Guards proved the greatest victors of this failed revolution, and were quite successful in suppressing news of what had transpired. At the same time, the Commissar of the Red Guards, Charles Marcus, met with Sir William Pitt to discuss terms of the post-rebellion government organization. It was agreed that William Pitt would remain the publicly known Head of Government, but Marcus was to have the ability to overrule any decisions made in Parliament, and even allowed to pass his own legislation if 2/3rds of the members of the Red Guard Congress approve--there would be no input from Parliament in this case.

The lack of an equivalent organization to the Red Guards convinced exiled British political dissidents, such as Leonard Travis, that the government of another major European power could be overthrown. To that end, Travis and his contingent of Druid and Illuminati followers, built a network of support in Paris. Travis would play a crucial behind-the-scenes role in the French Revolution, and it has been argued that had Napoleon not been such a capable military commander, that we would speak of Leonard Travis establishing his own French Empire, and of The Travisionic Wars ravaging Europe.

With the death of Charles Marcus in 1792, the far more radical and militant Valamir Julius became Commissar of the Red Guard Organization. Under Julius' leadership, the Red Guards only acquired more power over the British public, and began preaching the importance of the restoration of British authority in North America. They also took far more heavy-handed steps to control public image of the war, with thousands of those opposed to the British Reconquest being sent to labor camps in the Hebrides.

Sources become largely unavailable following this point. It is usually agreed that "The Salamander", who leaked extensive information on the inner workings of the British Government between 1783 and 1792, was captured by the RGO, and died in one of the labor camps shortly afterwards. Only a few references to the RGO and its role in British politics are seen for the next few decades. Apparently the War of 1812 was viewed by most military leadership as a continuation of the American Revolutionary War. British failure in this conflict is thought to be related to an Officer Purge by RGO Commissar Joshua Irons, which crippled The Redcoat Army's ability to undertake overseas expeditions.

How did the common people view the American Revolution? It is almost impossible for us as historians to distinguish between the true thoughts of the people, and of RGO propaganda. However, it seems likely that while most of the British public was angered by the defeat, and called for Britain to reclaim her lost colonies, a sizeable minority preferred to accept defeat and focus on the issues impacting native Britons.

Bibliography

'The Salamander', 1779-1792, Diary

'The Salamander', 1785, "Concerning Recent Negotiations in Munich"

'The Salamander', 1789, "Successful Operations in France"

'The Salamander', 1792, "The Secret History of The Commons"

David Milhouse, 1817, "Recollections of Redcoat Army Commanders at New Orleans"

Henry Hurle, 1784, "Et insanivit libidine super concubitu eorum quorum carnes sunt ut carnes asinorum et sicut fluxus equorum fluxus eorum"

Unknown Author, 1783, "The Druids' Call to Action"

Charles Marcus, 1783, "The Redcoat Manifesto"

Various, 1770-1790, "Classified Documents of Previous Parliamentary Administrations"

Andrew Jackson, 1832, "Red Terror: Atrocities of the British Army"

EDIT: APRIL FOOLS!