▁concepts ▁of ▁the ▁First ▁British ▁Empire ▁have ▁" h eld ▁their ▁ground ▁in ▁histor ians ' ▁usage ▁without ▁serious ▁challenge ." ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 9 8 8 ▁Peter ▁Marshall ▁says ▁that ▁late - 1 8 th - century ▁transformations : ▁ ▁Histor ians , ▁however , ▁debate ▁whether ▁ 1 7 8 3 ▁was ▁a ▁sharp ▁line ▁of ▁dem arc ation ▁between ▁First ▁and ▁Second , ▁or ▁whether ▁there ▁was ▁an ▁overlap ▁( as ▁argued ▁by ▁Vincent ▁T . ▁Har low ) ▁or ▁whether ▁there ▁was ▁a ▁" black ▁hole ▁between ▁ 1 7 8 3 ▁and ▁the ▁later ▁birth ▁of ▁the ▁Second ▁Empire . ▁Histor ian ▁Den is ▁Jud d ▁says ▁the ▁" black ▁hole " ▁is ▁a ▁f alla cy ▁and ▁that ▁there ▁was ▁continu ity . ▁Jud d ▁writes : ▁It ▁is ▁common place ▁to ▁suppose ▁that ▁the ▁successful ▁revol t ▁of ▁the ▁American ▁colon ies ▁marked ▁the ▁end ▁of ▁the ▁' First ▁British ▁Empire '. ▁But ▁this ▁is ▁only ▁a ▁half - tr uth . ▁In ▁ 1 7 8 3 ▁there ▁was ▁still ▁a ▁substantial ▁Empire ▁left ." ▁ ▁Marshall ▁notes ▁that ▁the ▁exact ▁d ating ▁of ▁the ▁two ▁emp ires ▁var ies , ▁with ▁ 1 7 8 3 ▁a ▁typical ▁dem arc ation ▁point . ▁Thus ▁the ▁story ▁of ▁the ▁American ▁revol t ▁provides ▁a ▁key : ▁The ▁Fall ▁of ▁the ▁First ▁British ▁Empire : ▁Orig ins ▁of ▁the ▁Wars ▁of ▁American ▁Independ ence ▁( 1 9 8 2 ) ▁by ▁American ▁profess ors ▁Robert