British Empire. The British, stung by the American War of Independence and the loss of the United States, learned their lesson and granted broad autonomy to Canada, Australia, and New Zealand, so much so that from 1809 to 1819, Australia didn’t even bother notifying London of new laws enacted locally. In 1850, the British wrote a constitution for their colonies, subject to local amendment, and in 1870, British troops were withdrawn from Australian soil, while maintaining the protection of the Royal Navy, which lasted until World War II (and ended with the fall of Singapore).
