In 1781, Yorktown, Virginia, became the site of the final major land engagement of the American Revolutionary War, when a combined American and French campaign trapped and defeated Lieutenant General Charles Cornwallis's British army. After a strategic decision to move against Virginia, George Washington, the Comte de Rochambeau, the Marquis de Lafayette, and Admiral de Grasse coordinated a secret southward march and naval action in the Chesapeake that cut off British escape and reinforcement. Allied siege operations tightened through late September and October, and the capture of key redoubts made Cornwallis's position untenable. His surrender on October 19 led directly toward peace negotiations and the Treaty of Paris in 1783.

Photo: Wikipedia · Public domain

Photo: Wikipedia · Public domain

Photo: Wikipedia · Public domain

Photo: Wikipedia · Public domain

Photo: Wikipedia · Public domain

Photo: Wikipedia · Public domain

Photo: Wikipedia · Public domain