In the spring of 1781, General George Washington had to decide where to strike next. The war had been going on for six years, and the British still held important positions. In Virginia, British General Charles Cornwallis had his army at Yorktown and nearby Gloucester Point, waiting for supplies and reinforcements. Washington, along with French General Jean-Baptiste de Rochambeau, chose to move their armies south to trap Cornwallis.
The plan depended on help from the French navy. The French fleet blocked Chesapeake Bay so the British could not escape or bring in supplies by ship. At the same time, American troops led by the Marquis de Lafayette kept Cornwallis’s army from leaving Yorktown by land.
Washington and Rochambeau led French and American soldiers on a long march from New York to Virginia. In September 1781, they joined Lafayette’s forces near Yorktown. On September 28, the French and American armies surrounded Cornwallis’s defenses.
The soldiers began building trenches to move their cannons closer to the British lines. On October 9, the French opened fire in the afternoon. Later that day, Washington fired the first American cannon. The heavy bombardment damaged the British defenses and sank one of their ships.
On October 11, the French and American armies began building a second line of trenches even closer to the British. Two small forts blocked their way. On the night of October 14, American soldiers led by Lieutenant Colonel Alexander Hamilton attacked one fort, while French soldiers captured the other. These victories allowed the armies to move their cannons even nearer to Cornwallis’s position.
On October 16, British soldiers tried to damage the French and American cannons, but they failed. That night, Cornwallis attempted to move his army across the river to escape, but a sudden storm stopped the effort. His defenses were crumbling, his supplies were running out, and illness was spreading through his army.
On the morning of October 17, a British drummer and an officer carrying a white flag came forward. They brought a request from Cornwallis to discuss surrender. The next day, officers from both sides met to agree on the terms.
On October 19, 1781, British soldiers marched out of Yorktown and gave up their weapons between lines of French and American troops. Cornwallis did not attend the ceremony, saying he was ill. American and French forces had won a major victory.
The Battle of Yorktown ended with the surrender of more than 7,000 British troops. The loss made it clear to many in Britain that continuing the war would be too costly. Although minor fights followed, Yorktown was the last major battle of the American Revolution before the signing of the Treaty of Paris in 1783.