October 19, 1781Reputable sourceWell documented
The Siege of Yorktown
On the timeline · around October 19, 1781 ·
What happened
In the autumn of 1781 Washington's combined American and French armies trapped General Cornwallis's British force on the Yorktown peninsula in Virginia, while a French fleet cut off escape or rescue by sea. After weeks of bombardment, Cornwallis surrendered more than 7,000 men on 19 October 1781.
Why it matters
The defeat at Yorktown broke Britain's will to continue the war and led directly to peace negotiations.