Which 1781 battle is widely regarded as the last major land battle of the American Revolution?

The Battle of Yorktown is widely regarded as the last major land battle of the American Revolution.

The Yorktown campaign culminated in the surrender of British General Charles Cornwallis on October 19, 1781. American and French forces commanded by George Washington and the Comte de Rochambeau surrounded the British position in Virginia, while a French naval victory helped prevent escape or reinforcement by sea.

Yorktown did not instantly end every military action. Fighting and negotiations continued, and the war formally ended with the Treaty of Paris in 1783. However, the surrender badly weakened British political support for continuing a large-scale war on the American mainland.

Saratoga was a major American victory in 1777, but it occurred earlier and did not end the conflict. Yorktown’s strategic and political impact explains its special place in America250-era historical accounts.