British forces surrendered at Yorktown on October 19, 1781, effectively ending major fighting in the American Revolutionary War.
The Siege of Yorktown took place in Virginia from September 28 to October 19, 1781. American troops led by George Washington and French forces commanded by the Comte de Rochambeau surrounded the British army under Lieutenant General Charles Cornwallis. French naval control in the Chesapeake region helped prevent Cornwallis from receiving effective relief or escape by sea.
After weeks of bombardment and trench operations, Cornwallis surrendered his army at Yorktown. The victory persuaded the British government that continuing the war was too costly, although fighting and diplomatic negotiations continued afterward.
The Treaty of Paris was signed on September 3, 1783, and formally recognized the independence of the United States. Yorktown is therefore often described as the war's decisive final campaign rather than the exact legal end of the conflict.