The surrender articles at the Siege of Yorktown were signed on October 19, 1781.
Yorktown was the final major land engagement of the American Revolutionary War. American and French forces under George Washington and the Comte de Rochambeau surrounded the British army commanded by Lieutenant General Charles Cornwallis. French naval control of Chesapeake Bay helped prevent British reinforcement or escape.
Cornwallis requested capitulation terms on October 17. Negotiations took place on October 18, and the formal surrender ceremony occurred on October 19. Cornwallis did not attend, citing illness; his deputy, Charles O’Hara, represented the British army. Major General Benjamin Lincoln accepted the sword on Washington’s behalf.
Yorktown did not instantly end every military operation, and fighting continued at sea. However, the defeat led to peace negotiations and ultimately the Treaty of Paris in 1783. The date is therefore a major milestone on the road from the Revolution to the United States’ 250th anniversary.