Event

British Surrender at Yorktown

The surrender of Cornwallis at Yorktown effectively ended major fighting in North America and confirmed the strategic importance of Franco-American cooperation.

Status: draft
Event Kind: siege and surrender
Date Precision: day
Date Display: 19 Oct 1781
Start Date: 19 Oct 1781
End Date: 19 Oct 1781

What happened

Combined American and French forces trapped and compelled the surrender of the British army under Cornwallis at Yorktown.

Why it matters

Yorktown was the decisive military climax of the war in North America. It showed the full strategic significance of French intervention and helped bring the conflict toward negotiated settlement.

Notes

This is the best endgame military anchor for the timeline, even though the formal peace came later.