The Siege of Yorktown ended with a surrender in 1781 that effectively secured American victory in the Revolutionary War commemorated by America250.
American and French forces surrounded the British army at Yorktown, Virginia, in September and October 1781. General George Washington commanded the combined American force, while the French army was led by the Comte de Rochambeau. French naval control of the Chesapeake helped prevent British relief.
British commander Charles Cornwallis surrendered on October 19, 1781. The siege did not immediately end all fighting, but the defeat made continued British efforts to suppress the rebellion politically and militarily difficult.
Peace negotiations followed, leading to the Treaty of Paris in 1783. Yorktown is sometimes called the last major battle of the Revolutionary War, although smaller military actions continued afterward. Its significance lies in the combined land and naval operation that trapped the British army.