The Battle of Yorktown occurred in October 1781 and marked a major turning point in the American Revolutionary War. General Cornwallis encamped his British army at Yorktown, Virginia in August hoping to use the port as a supply base. However, French naval forces arrived and trapped the British army. In October, coordinated attacks by American and French ground forces bombarded the British positions. Facing defeat and no possibility of reinforcement or evacuation, Cornwallis surrendered his entire army to General Washington, effectively ending major fighting in the American Revolution.

1. BATTLE OF
YORKTOWN
TIMELINE

2. ▸February, 1781 The Major General Marquis de Lafayette
was ordered to take his Continental troops to Virginia.

3. ▸May 10, 1781 British General Charles Cornwallis, earl
Cornwallis, and his army entered Virginia. Cornwallis
believed that American resistance would fail if he defeated
Virginia.

4. TEXT
▸August 1–2, 1781 Cornwallis and his army encamped at
Yorktown and across the York River at Gloucester Point.
Lafayette's spies overheard Cornwallis's plans to use the
port as a base of supply and Lafayette relayed word to
General George Washington in New York.

5. TEXT
▸August 14, 1781 Washington found out that French Admiral
de Grasse was sailing for the Chesapeake Bay with a large
battle fleet and army.

6. TEXT
▸August 19, 1781 Washington began to move the allied army
south secretly.

7. TEXT
▸September 5, 1781 The French fleet under Admiral de
Grasse defeated a British fleet under Admiral Thomas
Graves in the Battle of the Capes, leaving the British army
isolated and without a prospect of reinforcement at
Yorktown.

8. TEXT
▸September 14, 1781 The British navy withdrew from the
Virginia coast.

9. TEXT
▸September 14, 1781 Washington and French General
Rochambeau arrived in Williamsburg.

10. TEXT
▸October 14, 1781 In the night, 400 French soldiers stormed
British Redoubt No. 9 and 400 American soldiers under the
command of Lafayette and Alexander Hamilton stormed
Redoubt No. 10.

11. TEXT
▸October 16–17, 1781 Under heavy bombardment from the
allied army, Cornwallis realized that reinforcements would
not reach him in time. He decided to escape from Yorktown,
but a sudden storm ruined evacuation attempts.

12. TEXT
▸October 19, 1781 British troops under Cornwallis
surrendered to Washington’s combined American and
French forces, effectively ending major military operations in
the American Revolution.

13. TEXT
▸October 21, 1781 British troops were sent to Winchester,
Virginia; Frederick, Maryland; and Lancaster, Pennsylvania
for imprisonment.

14. TEXT
▸October 28, 1781 Cornwallis signed a parole agreeing to
stop fighting the Americans.

15. TEXT
▸November 25, 1781 Prime Minister Lord North exclaimed,
"Oh God, it is all over" when news of the Yorktown defeat
reached London.

16. TEXT
▸September 3, 1783 By the terms of the Treaty of Paris,
Great Britain recognized the independence of the United
States. Congress ratified the treaty on January 14, 1784

17. TEXT
▸THE END