Siege of Yorktown’s Victory

On October 14, 1781, the Battle of Yorktown commenced. A final assault was led by George Washington and French General de Rochambeau. Five days later, the British capitulated after they were able to capture two British defenses.

Following this battle, the British began peace talks, the Revolutionary War came to an end, and America emerged victors. On September 11, 1777, Washington lost the Battle of Brandywine. The Continental Congress was compelled to relocate to York, Pennsylvania when the British seized Philadelphia, the nation's capitol. The American triumph at Saratoga, however, persuaded the French that the colonies might win the war. As a result, the official Franco-American alliance was formed in 1778. George Washington engaged in greater diplomatic and organized operations from late 1778 through 1780. The march from Newport, Rhode Island to Yorktown, Virginia, started on August 19, 1781, with 3000 American soldiers under General George Washington and 4000 French soldiers under General Comte de Rochambeau. Washington sent out fictitious dispatches during this march to give British General Henry Clinton the impression that his force was about to attack New York.

Clinton was persuaded by this to believe that Lord Cornwallis was safe in Yorktown. On September 28, 1781, Washington completely surrounded Yorktown to start the Yorktown Siege. French Admiral François de Grasse placed his naval force off the coast in a deliberate position to thwart any attempts to leave or receive aid from the sea. On October 19, 1781, Cornwallis's force of about 8,000 men surrendered to General Washington after the food and ammunition supplies had run out and there was no chance of escape. Because they lacked the money to assemble a new army, this virtually put an end to British hopes of winning the war.