The siege of Yorktown was a pivotal moment in the American Revolutionary War, taking place from September 28 to October 19, 1781. American General George Washington and French General Jean-Baptiste Donatien de Vimeur, comte de Rochambeau, led a combined force of approximately 14,000 troops against British General Charles Cornwallis’s 8,000 men stationed in Yorktown, Virginia. This strategic engagement was the culmination of months of planning and collaboration between the Americans and French, who had both a shared interest in curtailing British power in the colonies.

As the siege began, the French fleet commanded by Admiral François Joseph Paul de Grasse played a critical role in restricting British naval access to Yorktown. By blockading Chesapeake Bay, de Grasse ensured that Cornwallis could not receive reinforcements or essential supplies from the British navy, effectively isolating the British forces. The siege itself involved heavy artillery bombardments and intense fighting, with American and French troops working in unison, digging trenches and laying siegeworks to minimize British defenses.

The successful siege culminated in the surrender of Cornwallis’s army, arguably marking the last major military action of the American Revolution. The American victory at Yorktown served not only as a significant morale boost for the revolutionary cause but also demonstrated the effectiveness of the Franco-American alliance. The outcomes of this siege led to negotiations that ultimately resulted in the signing of the Treaty of Paris in 1783, formally recognizing American independence.