Which 1781 siege ended major British military operations in the American Revolution?

The Siege of Yorktown ended major British military operations in the American Revolution.

American and French forces surrounded the British army commanded by General Charles Cornwallis at Yorktown, Virginia, in September and October 1781. George Washington led the combined allied army, while French naval forces helped prevent British relief by controlling the Chesapeake Bay.

The allied army completed a series of trenches and artillery positions that brought Yorktown under sustained bombardment. Cornwallis surrendered on October 19, 1781, with roughly 8,000 British troops.

Yorktown did not legally end the war. Fighting and negotiations continued, and the final peace treaty was signed in 1783. However, the surrender made continued British efforts to defeat the American rebellion politically and militarily impractical.