On what date did the Siege of Yorktown end, a decisive event leading to American independence?

The Siege of Yorktown ended on October 19, 1781, a decisive event leading to American independence.

The siege took place in Virginia during the American Revolutionary War. American forces led by George Washington joined French army troops under the Comte de Rochambeau, while French naval forces under the Comte de Grasse blocked British support by sea.

British Lieutenant General Charles Cornwallis commanded the trapped army at Yorktown. After weeks of bombardment and the capture of key outer defenses, Cornwallis sought surrender terms on October 17. The formal capitulation ceremony took place two days later, on October 19.

Cornwallis did not personally attend the ceremony, citing illness. Charles O’Hara represented him and ultimately handed the sword to Major General Benjamin Lincoln after Washington and Rochambeau declined to accept it directly. The surrender did not instantly end every military action, but it led to peace negotiations and the Treaty of Paris in 1783.