Which 1781 battle led to the largest British surrender of the American Revolutionary War?

The Battle of Yorktown, also called the Siege of Yorktown, led to the largest British surrender of the American Revolutionary War.

American and French forces surrounded the British army commanded by General Charles Cornwallis at Yorktown, Virginia, in autumn 1781. George Washington commanded the Continental Army, while French troops under the Comte de Rochambeau and a French fleet helped close the trap.

Cornwallis surrendered on October 19, 1781. The defeat did not legally end the war immediately, but it destroyed Britain’s practical ability to continue major offensive operations in North America. Peace negotiations followed, producing the Treaty of Paris in 1783.

Yorktown is often called the war’s decisive victory, but fighting continued in other locations after the surrender. America250’s historical backdrop therefore includes both the military turning point at Yorktown and the later diplomatic recognition of independence.