Which battle ended with the British surrender that effectively secured American victory in 1781?

The Siege of Yorktown ended with a British surrender that effectively secured American victory in 1781.

American and French forces surrounded the British army commanded by General Charles Cornwallis at Yorktown, Virginia. George Washington led the Continental Army, while French troops under the Comte de Rochambeau joined the operation. French naval power also helped prevent British reinforcement or evacuation.

Cornwallis surrendered on October 19, 1781. The victory did not immediately end all fighting, and the peace negotiations took additional time. The conflict formally concluded with the Treaty of Paris in 1783.

Yorktown is sometimes called the last major battle of the American Revolutionary War, although smaller military actions continued afterward. Its importance lies in combining American land forces, French military support, and naval control into a decisive result. That international alliance is an important part of the independence story remembered by America250.