Battle of Yorktown

The Battle of Yorktown, fought in 1781 during the American Revolutionary War, was a decisive victory for the American and French forces against the British. General George Washington led the Continental Army, besieging British General Cornwallis’s troops in Yorktown, Virginia. With the French navy blocking escape by sea and American forces surrounding the town, Cornwallis was left with no choice but to surrender. This victory effectively ended large-scale fighting in the colonies and paved the way for negotiations that led to American independence. It is often considered the last major battle of the war.