Which date marks the British surrender at Yorktown, a turning point in the American Revolution?

The British surrender at Yorktown occurred on October 19, 1781.

American and French forces surrounded the British army commanded by Lieutenant General Charles Cornwallis at Yorktown, Virginia. General George Washington led the American army, while French troops under the Comte de Rochambeau and a French fleet helped close the trap.

After weeks of siege operations and bombardment, Cornwallis surrendered roughly 8,000 troops. He did not attend the formal ceremony, citing illness, so Brigadier General Charles O'Hara represented him. The British marching band reportedly played “The World Turned Upside Down,” although the story's details are not certain.

Yorktown did not legally end the war. Fighting and negotiations continued for almost two years, ending with the Treaty of Paris in 1783. However, the defeat made a British military victory increasingly unlikely and encouraged peace negotiations.