Which British commander surrendered at the Battle of Yorktown in 1781?

Charles Cornwallis was the British commander who surrendered at the Battle of Yorktown in 1781.

The siege took place in Yorktown, Virginia, from September 28 to October 19, 1781. American forces led by George Washington joined French troops commanded by the Comte de Rochambeau, while French naval power helped prevent British relief by sea.

Cornwallis’s army became trapped on the Yorktown peninsula after American and French forces tightened their lines around the town. Following sustained bombardment and failed attempts to escape, Cornwallis surrendered his army on October 19.

Yorktown did not legally end the war; the Treaty of Paris did that in 1783. However, the surrender weakened British political support for continuing the conflict and led to peace negotiations. Yorktown is consequently one of the most important military events associated with the independence celebrated by America250.