Widget - A Steampunk Reality

As the British Empire reached its golden era during the Victorian age, the occasional delusional historian believed that Britain could continue its expansion and take over the whole world. Though it slowly collapsed in the twentieth century, a few were still convinced that Britain would forever be the world's greatest power. In Widget these historians were all but correct. From its early days of expansion, modern, cutting-edge ideas would drive the island nation to success upon success all across the world, and would one day unite the entire globe (almost) under its monarchy. The result was an industrial, experimental, cobbled empire, humorously, and rather inappropriately, known as 'Widget'.

Quite a few things needed to have changed to make this work. But the major PoDs are: It was this combination of factors which led both to continued British expansion over the world, and the growth of industrial rather than progressive technology, leading to a Global Steampunk System.
 * The failure of the American Independence Revolution, and a much more Pro-British spirit across the empire (and the world)
 * A vast series of successful military reforms in Britain in the build up to the Crimean War.
 * A slight increase in the flexibility of the laws of physics.
 * The slow transition of power back from British Parliament to the Monarchy.
 * Overall, a far larger and more organized British army, and more successful industrialization and commercialization in the mid nineteenth century.
 * Because of increased industrialization, a much greater demand for people to use industrial technology rather than modern, 'liberalist' trash.
 * An increase in the class divide, suffrage only for the richest, leading to extreme conservatism in Britain.
 * Finally the fact that the vast majority of people were just slightly insane.