I'm not talking about punishment or punative action. I'm talking about accountability, where being 'held accountable' could be a synonym for 'held responsible'. In this case, the way I used the phrase, Britain was 'held responsible' by simply being told to 'go away'.
I agree that many people blamed the British Government for their problems, indeed that was the impetus for the revolution, but accountability of the British government was limited to none.
you: Britain as an entity certainly faced consequences from US independence
me: The 'holding accountable' was the revocation of Britain's authority over the colonies.
Glad we agree.