At the Battle of Yorktown, which British general surrendered to the American and French forces?

At the Battle of Yorktown, British general Charles Cornwallis surrendered to American and French forces.

The siege took place in Virginia from September 28 to October 19, 1781. George Washington commanded the American army, while French troops were led by the Comte de Rochambeau. A French naval victory in the Chesapeake Bay prevented Cornwallis from receiving effective relief or evacuation by sea.

After weeks of bombardment and the capture of key defensive positions, Cornwallis’s army became trapped on the Yorktown peninsula. Cornwallis did not attend the formal surrender ceremony, citing illness; Brigadier General Charles O’Hara presented his sword instead.

The surrender did not legally end the war, but it caused major British political pressure to stop fighting. Peace negotiations led to the Treaty of Paris in 1783, which recognized American independence.