Yorktown gave its name to the decisive 1781 American Revolutionary War siege.
The Siege of Yorktown took place from September 28 to October 19, 1781, in and around Yorktown, Virginia. American forces commanded by George Washington joined French forces commanded by the Comte de Rochambeau, while French naval forces helped prevent British reinforcement or evacuation by sea.
The besieged British army was led by General Charles Cornwallis. After American and French troops completed artillery positions and captured key redoubts, Cornwallis surrendered on October 19. The victory did not legally end the war, but it caused peace negotiations to accelerate and is widely regarded as the conflict’s decisive military outcome.
Williamsburg and Jamestown are nearby historic Virginia places, which can cause confusion, but neither names this siege. The Treaty of Paris, signed in 1783, formally recognized American independence. Yorktown therefore connects the military struggle of the founding era with the diplomatic settlement later remembered in America250 programming.