Which British general surrendered at Yorktown, the Revolutionary War victory linked to America250?

Charles Cornwallis surrendered at Yorktown, the Revolutionary War victory linked to America250. Cornwallis was the British commander whose army capitulated to the allied American and French forces on October 19, 1781.

Cornwallis had moved his troops into Yorktown, Virginia, expecting support from the British navy and reinforcements. The allied siege and the French naval victory in the Chesapeake made relief impossible, allowing Washington and Rochambeau to tighten the encirclement.

Cornwallis did not personally attend the surrender ceremony, saying that illness prevented him from appearing. Brigadier General Charles O’Hara represented him and offered the sword of surrender to American Major General Benjamin Lincoln after Washington declined to accept it directly.

The surrender was a major military disaster for Britain, although fighting continued elsewhere. Parliament soon shifted toward peace negotiations, which led to the Treaty of Paris in 1783.