Yorktown, Virginia, was the site of the 1781 British surrender that effectively ended major fighting in the American Revolutionary War.
The Siege of Yorktown lasted from September 28 to October 19, 1781. American forces commanded by George Washington and French forces commanded by the Comte de Rochambeau trapped the British army led by Lieutenant General Charles Cornwallis on the Yorktown peninsula.
French naval control of the Chesapeake Bay helped prevent Cornwallis from receiving effective relief or evacuation. Allied troops gradually captured defensive positions and tightened their siege lines. After the British position became untenable, Cornwallis surrendered his army on October 19.
The surrender did not legally end the war immediately. Fighting and negotiations continued, and the Treaty of Paris was signed in 1783. Yorktown was nevertheless decisive because Britain’s military defeat changed the political balance and encouraged peace negotiations. The campaign also demonstrates the importance of the Franco-American alliance, which supplied troops, ships, money, and strategic support.