As the colonists emerged from their winter camps in 1779, they had gained valuable military training and were now confident in their ability to defeat the British. The focus of the war then shifted to the southern colonies, where the Continental Army faced difficulties fighting against loyalist colonists. While the British achieved some early victories in the south, American victories at Kings Mountain and Cowpens turned the tide. Finally, in 1781 General Washington and French allies trapped General Cornwallis' forces at Yorktown, cutting off escape by land and sea. After sustained bombardment, Cornwallis surrendered, effectively ending major military conflict in the American Revolutionary War.

1. victory

2. Better trainedAs the colonists emerged from their winter camps, they now had the training and the confidence they needed to defeat the British.

3. To the southThrough 1779, the focus of the war shifted from the Middle Atlantic colonies into the Southern colonies.

4. To the southThis would be especially difficult for the Continental Army because they would be fighting primarily other colonists who had remained loyal to King George III.

5. To the southMany southerners saw themselves as transplanted Englishmen and did not want to give up the life that they had become accustomed to exchange “one tyrant 3,000 miles away for 3,000 tyrants one mile away.”

6. To the southThe English had a number of early victories in the south at places such as Savannah, Georgia, Camden, South Carolina, and Charleston, South Carolina.

7. To the southVictories by the Continental Army at Kings Mountain on the border of the Carolinas and at Cowpens in the same area set the stage for the final campaign.

8. successLord Cornwallis, leader of the English troops, took his army north into Virginia, and set up camp at Yorktown, a city on the peninsula between the York and James Rivers.

9. successThe Marquis de Lafayette, whose numbers were much smaller than those of Cornwallis, positioned his troops so that Cornwallis could not escape by land.

10. successWashington saw this as an opportunity to pin the English in and raced down from the north to join Lafayette.

11. successThe French navy arrived from New York and set up a blockade of Yorktown in the Atlantic Ocean, thereby cutting off Cornwallis’ retreat by sea.

12. successWhen the English navy arrived to try and help Cornwallis, the French succeeded in turning the tables and instead sent the English away.

13. successIn October, 1781, Washington started to use both American and French artillery on Yorktown and the English position.

14. successOn October 19, 1781, Cornwallis realized that his position was hopeless and decided it was best to surrender to Washington.

15. successThe War for American Independence had come to a close militarily, but true independence would not become reality until 1783 and the Treaty of Paris.