The cost of giving America the 1812 Royal Navy

What happens if the US Navy and Royal Navy are swapped in 1812?

The United States gains a brief chance to dictate terms but cannot afford the fleet, and unpaid wages and prize money could turn naval superiority into armed rebellion.

The United States would initially hold overwhelming leverage and a narrow window in which it might dictate terms to London. The answer then shifts from battle tactics to state capacity. Maintaining the Royal Navy's scale would bankrupt the American government, while a successful prize-taking campaign would create still more wage and prize-money obligations. Crews would have little incentive to disarm before being paid. The fleet swap could therefore turn naval superiority into an armed rebellion by sailors demanding the money owed to them.