Editing William Pitt the Younger (section)

=== Effects of the American War of Independence ===
Losing the war and the [[Thirteen Colonies]] was a shock to the British system. The war revealed the limitations of Britain's [[fiscal-military state]] when it had powerful enemies and no allies, depended on extended and vulnerable transatlantic lines of communication, and was faced for the first time since the 17th century by both Protestant and Catholic foes. The defeat heightened dissension and escalated political antagonism to the king's ministers. Inside parliament, the primary concern changed from fears of an over-mighty monarch to the issues of representation, parliamentary reform, and government retrenchment. Reformers sought to destroy what they saw as widespread [[institutional corruption]]. The result was a crisis from 1776 to 1783. The peace in 1783 left France financially prostrate, while the British economy boomed due to the return of American business. That crisis ended in 1784 as a result of the king's shrewdness in outwitting Fox{{explain|date=September 2023}} and renewed confidence in the system engendered by the leadership of Pitt. Historians conclude that the loss of the American colonies enabled Britain to deal with the [[French Revolution]] with more unity and organisation than would otherwise have been the case.{{sfn|Black|2006|p=}}{{page needed|date=January 2021}} Britain turned towards Asia, the Pacific, and later Africa with subsequent exploration leading to the rise of the [[Second British Empire]].{{sfn|Canny|1998|p=92}}