The Siege of Yorktown in October 1781 was the last major battle of the American Revolution. When Cornwallis surrendered, the British band played "The World Turned Upside Down."
The Strategic Situation in 1781
By the summer of 1781, the Revolutionary War had been grinding for six years. The British had shifted their strategy to the South, capturing Savannah and Charleston and winning a string of tactical victories across the Carolinas. But the Patriot forces, under Nathanael Greene, had adopted a war of attrition that drained British strength without requiring decisive pitched battles. Lord Cornwallis, commanding British forces in the South, marched his army into Virginia in the spring of 1781 looking for the decisive engagement that would restore British momentum.
Cornwallis Moves to Yorktown
Cornwallis established his base at Yorktown, Virginia, a small tobacco port on the York River peninsula between the York and James rivers. He was ordered to hold a deep-water port by his superior, General Henry Clinton in New York, who wanted the option to evacuate or reinforce the southern army by sea. The position seemed defensible — but it depended on British naval control of the Chesapeake Bay.
The French Navy Changes Everything
On September 5, 1781, the French fleet under Admiral de Grasse engaged the British fleet under Admiral Graves at the Battle of the Chesapeake — a naval engagement fought out of sight of land that determined the outcome of the war. De Grasse drove the British fleet away from the Chesapeake, cutting off Cornwallis's naval lifeline. When the French fleet returned to the Chesapeake, it brought siege artillery and French troops from Newport. Cornwallis was trapped.
Washington's March South
Washington had been planning an attack on British-held New York when French commander Rochambeau convinced him that Cornwallis in Virginia was the better target. In a movement of remarkable logistical complexity, Washington and Rochambeau marched their combined armies — approximately 17,000 men — from the Hudson River to the Chesapeake in less than a month, achieving strategic surprise and arriving before Cornwallis could escape.
The Siege
The Siege of Yorktown began on September 28, 1781. The allied forces — American and French — surrounded Yorktown and began a systematic artillery bombardment. Two key British defensive positions, Redoubts 9 and 10, were stormed on the night of October 14 in simultaneous American and French assaults. Cornwallis attempted a breakout across the York River on October 16 but was turned back by storms. By October 17, with his defenses crumbling, his army reduced to 8,000 effectives, and no relief possible, Cornwallis requested terms.
The Surrender
The formal surrender took place on October 19, 1781. Cornwallis, claiming illness, sent his second in command, Brigadier General Charles O'Hara, to make the surrender. O'Hara first approached Rochambeau — the French commander — before being redirected to Washington. Washington directed O'Hara to his own second in command, Benjamin Lincoln. The protocol jousting reflected the humiliation of the moment. The British band played "The World Turned Upside Down." British soldiers laid down their arms and marched between two lines of French and American troops.
The Aftermath
Yorktown did not immediately end the war — British forces still held New York, Charleston, and Savannah, and fighting continued elsewhere. But it broke the political will in Britain to continue. Prime Minister Lord North reportedly said "Oh God, it is all over" when he received the news. The Treaty of Paris, signed September 3, 1783, formally ended the war and recognized American independence.
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Frequently Asked Questions
When did the Battle of Yorktown take place?
The Siege of Yorktown lasted from September 28 to October 19, 1781. The formal British surrender took place on October 19, 1781.
Who surrendered at Yorktown?
Lord Cornwallis commanded the British forces at Yorktown but sent his second in command, Brigadier General Charles O'Hara, to make the formal surrender, citing illness. Washington in turn directed O'Hara to his own deputy, Major General Benjamin Lincoln.
Did the Battle of Yorktown end the Revolutionary War?
It effectively ended major combat operations. British forces still held several American cities, and minor fighting continued elsewhere. The war formally ended with the Treaty of Paris on September 3, 1783.
