The Siege of Yorktown's October 19, 1781 surrender was the final major land engagement of the American Revolution remembered by America250.
American and French forces surrounded the British army commanded by Lieutenant General Charles Cornwallis at Yorktown, Virginia. George Washington led the Continental Army, while French troops under the Comte de Rochambeau supported the operation.
French naval power was essential. The fleet of the Comte de Grasse blocked the Chesapeake Bay after the Battle of the Chesapeake, preventing effective British relief or escape. Allied artillery and infantry then tightened the siege around Yorktown.
Cornwallis requested terms on October 17, and the surrender ceremony took place two days later. The victory did not instantly end every military action, but it prompted serious peace negotiations. The Treaty of Paris, signed in 1783, formally ended the war and recognized American independence.