Its not belief, its fact.
You cannot seriously argue that the British Empire stopped being no 1 because of one defeat. Especially when British power and the British Empire got much BIGGER and stronger in the years after that defeat.
When the Empire lost America, it has barely conquered India, hadnt conquered Asia (Hong Kong, Burma etc), and Africa
50 years after the American victory, Britain ruled India, SE Asia, Afghanistan, most of Asia. 100 years later, it ruled almost all of the Middle East and most of Africa as well.
Britain was THE political and financial powerhouse, the only superpower on earth, had the world’s largest navy, produced most of the great Western culture (esp. literature)
By comparison, America was a relatively minor power. Certainly not comparable to either Britain or France. Even the Dutch had more power, with their Empire stretching to Java and Sumatra.
Are you aware that even as late as 1917, half of all American troops carried to Europe for WW1 had to be carried on ROYAL NAVY ships?. And all American troops carried from Britain to France were carried on RN ships.
Are you aware that in 1917-18, American forces in France had no tanks, airplanes and heavy artillery of their own?. A fact even superpatriotic historians like the late Stephen Ambrose admitted. The Doughboys relied on British and French tanks, planes and heavy artillery. And US troops were given combat training in France by British and French officers.
Until WW2, Britain was still THE major world power, in every sense. Militarally, politically, culturally and most of all financially. ONLY with WW2, and the near bankruptcy of Britain due to the war, did the torch pass to America.
You dont honestly think that because America won the war in 1783, that that automatically made America THE world superpower and more powerful than the British?.
By that logic, because the Romans occasionally got mauled, the Roman Empire stopped and never ruled for hundreds of years.
I hope you have protested enough to convince yourself as my mind remains unchanged.
It was damn sure the beginning of the end and if America hadn’t ramped up in a fashion that Britain could only dream about you would be speaking German had your ancestors survived.