10 Things You Might Not Know About America's Independence

[Tonitrus]

But not really a status quo, since the colonial leaders also wanted to be free to wage aggressive war to the west.

A good example, actually, though.  Before the French and Indian War, the British government didn't really do anything to try to check westward expansion--the barriers were the practical problems of exploring the wilderness and dealing with the natives and French explorers and traders, not legal barriers erected by the government.  After the war, the practical barriers were much reduced, but the British had put up legal barriers.

Yeah.  Britain started treating the natives like countries, whereas the colonies were determined to slaughter them.

That would explain all those Native American Nations throughout what we mistakenly call Canada.