The Siege of Yorktown was the 1781 American victory that helped force negotiations ending the Revolutionary War, a milestone behind America250.
American and French forces surrounded the British army commanded by General Charles Cornwallis at Yorktown, Virginia. General George Washington led the Continental Army, while French troops under the Comte de Rochambeau and French naval forces played essential supporting roles.
Cornwallis surrendered on October 19, 1781. The victory did not instantly end every military activity, but it made continued British prosecution of the war politically difficult. Peace negotiations followed, leading to the Treaty of Paris in 1783, which recognized American independence.
The Battle of Saratoga in 1777 was also strategically crucial because it helped bring France into the war. Bunker Hill and Trenton were important earlier engagements, but Yorktown is the victory most directly associated with the war’s decisive final phase.