ID: Battle of Yorktown
When: September 28 - October 19, 1781
Who:
- British: General Charles Cornwallis and the British Army
- American/French: General George Washington, Comte de Rochambeau (French), and combined American and French forces.
What:
The decisive battle of the American Revolutionary War. A combined Franco-American force, surrounded Cornwallis’s army at Yorktown, Virginia. The siege resulted in the surrender of the British army.
Impact: Why Significant?:
- End of Major Fighting: Cornwallis’s surrender effectively ended major fighting in the Revolutionary War. While some skirmishes continued, the British lacked the resources and will to continue a major campaign in North America.
- British Defeat: A major British defeat, significantly impacting British morale and public opinion regarding the war. It showed the effectiveness of the combined Franco-American strategy.
- French Support Crucial: Highlighted the importance of French military and naval support to the American victory. The French fleet played a key role in preventing British reinforcement and escape.
- Negotiations and Treaty: The victory at Yorktown strengthened the American negotiating position in the peace talks that led to the Treaty of Paris in 1783, formally ending the war and recognizing American independence.
- Symbolic Victory: The battle became a powerful symbol of American perseverance and the success of the revolutionary cause.