Yorktown saw the major British surrender that led to the end of the American Revolutionary War.
The Siege of Yorktown took place in Virginia from September 28 to October 19, 1781. American forces led by George Washington joined French troops commanded by the Comte de Rochambeau, while a French fleet blocked British relief by sea.
British Lieutenant General Charles Cornwallis commanded the garrison. After allied artillery battered the defenses and American and French troops captured key redoubts, Cornwallis opened negotiations. His forces surrendered on October 19, although Cornwallis did not personally attend the ceremony.
Yorktown did not instantly end every military operation. Fighting and naval activity continued elsewhere, but the surrender made a negotiated peace likely. The Treaty of Paris, signed in 1783, formally ended the war and recognized American independence.