The Siege of Yorktown ended major fighting in the American Revolution and led toward the independence celebrated by America250.
American and French forces surrounded the British army commanded by Lieutenant General Charles Cornwallis at Yorktown, Virginia. The allied forces were led by George Washington and the French general Rochambeau, while French naval support helped prevent a British evacuation.
Cornwallis surrendered on October 19, 1781. Fighting and negotiations continued afterward, so Yorktown was not itself the treaty that formally recognized independence. However, the defeat effectively ended major combat operations in North America.
The Treaty of Paris was signed in 1783 and recognized the United States as independent. Yorktown is therefore remembered as the decisive military climax, while the treaty completed the diplomatic settlement.