Siege of Yorktown

1781-09-28 - 1781-10-19

The Siege of Yorktown, also known as the Battle of Yorktown, took place in 1781 and was the final major land engagement of the American Revolutionary War. It was won decisively by the Continental Army under George Washington, supported by French Army troops under the Comte de Rochambeau and a French Navy force under the Comte de Grasse. The allied forces surrounded and besieged the British army commanded by Lieutenant General Charles Cornwallis, who surrendered on October 19, 1781, with more than 7,000 British soldiers captured. The victory led to negotiations that produced the Treaty of Paris of 1783.