Battle of Yorktown

by Josh

The Battle of Yorktown is where the British surrendered to the Americans and French as the final battle in the Revolutionary War. The battle lasted from the 28th of September to October 19th 1781. They fought the battle of Yorktown in Virginia. Major General Lord Charles Cornwallis led the British army against General George Washington, who led the Continental army, and Lieutenant General de Rochambeau, who led the French. The French and Continental armies combined had approximately 16,500 men. The British had about 8000 soldiers. The reason the French were helping the Continental army was because Benjamin Franklin had convinced the king of France to help the Americans win the war against Great Britain.

The events leading up to the battle did not start in Yorktown but in the Carolinas. It started when Cornwallis decided to move up to Yorktown and Gloucester. The Americans decided to follow them. The Americans moved up the coast to Williamsburg then they made a semi circle around Yorktown. The Americans planned a siege by surrounding the British at the Chesapeake while the French fleet came from the Atlantic Ocean. Cornwallis was expecting General Clinton to arrive but by the time he had come the British had already surrendered.

On October 17th 1781 Cornwallis was hoping the Americans would allow a truce but the Americans denied it. Two days later the British surrendered and headed back to Great Britain. Then two years later the British signed the Treaty of Paris which put an end to the American Revolution for good.

• http://WWW.britishbattles.com/battle-Yorktown.htm
• http://battleofYorktown.com/
• http://WWW.Americanrevolution.com/Battleof Yorktown.htm
• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Siege_of_Yorktown