Which battle ended with Cornwallis’s British army surrendering to George Washington in 1781?

The Siege of Yorktown ended with Cornwallis’s British army surrendering to George Washington in 1781.

American and French forces surrounded the British position at Yorktown, Virginia, during the final major campaign of the American Revolutionary War. Washington commanded the combined American and French army, while French naval support helped prevent British relief by sea.

The siege began in late September 1781 and concluded when General Charles Cornwallis surrendered on October 19. Cornwallis did not personally attend the surrender ceremony, reportedly citing illness; Brigadier General Charles O’Hara represented him. The British defeat severely weakened Britain’s ability to continue large-scale operations in North America.

The war did not legally end that day. Peace negotiations followed, and the Treaty of Paris was signed in 1783, recognizing the independence of the United States. Yorktown is therefore remembered as the decisive military conclusion rather than the formal legal end of the Revolution.