The Battle of Yorktown, more precisely the Siege of Yorktown, is widely regarded as the last major battle of the American Revolutionary War.
American and French forces trapped the British army commanded by Lord Cornwallis at Yorktown, Virginia, in 1781. General George Washington led the allied army, while French naval forces helped prevent British relief by winning the Battle of the Chesapeake.
Cornwallis surrendered on October 19, 1781. Fighting continued in smaller actions after Yorktown, so the surrender did not instantly produce a peace treaty. Nevertheless, the defeat badly weakened British political support for continuing the war and opened the way for negotiations.
Yorktown is sometimes called a battle even though the campaign included a siege, naval operations, trenches, and artillery bombardment. Saratoga was an earlier American victory in 1777 and helped bring France into the war, while Trenton was Washington’s famous surprise victory in 1776.