The Battle of Yorktown
AND THE TREATY OF PARIS
George Washington and His Men…
 The Americans have been battling the British for 8 years
now.
 George Washington had been idled for almost 2 whole years
outside of New York City.
 He was out of money, and his men were running out of
patience: they had not been paid.
Marquis de Lafayette
 Lafayette married into French royalty.
 He became devoted to helping the
Americans achieve independence
from Great Britain.
 He also persuaded several French
officers to come with him.
 When he met General Washington
and they became great friends.
The Mouth of the Chesapeake Bay
British General Lord
Charles Cornwallis set up
base in Yorktown, VA.
At the same time, French
Commander Francois Count
de Grasse also set up base in
the same location.
Luckily Washington Had the French on His Side
 Washington ordered Marquis de
Lafayette and an American army of
5,000 troops to block Cornwallis'
escape from Yorktown by land
while the French naval fleet blocked
the British escape by sea.
 On September 28, in 1781, General
George Washington was
commanding a force of 17,000
French and Continental troops
encircling Cornwallis and
Yorktown.
Finally, Surrender.
After three weeks of non-stop
bombardment, both day and
night, from cannon and
artillery, Cornwallis
surrendered to Washington in
the field at Yorktown on
October 17, 1781, effectively
ending the War for
Independence.
The Surrender Ceremony
Pleading illness, Cornwallis did not attend the formal surrender
ceremony, held on October 19. Instead, his second in command,
General Charles O'Hara, carried Cornwallis' sword to the American
and French commanders.
The End of the Battles in the Colonies
Although the war persisted
on the high seas and in other
theaters, the Patriot victory
at Yorktown ended fighting
in the American colonies
The Treaty of Paris
 The Treaty of Paris of 1783,
negotiated between the United
States and Great Britain, officially
ended The Revolutionary War and
recognized American
independence.
 The preliminary articles of peace
were signed by Adams, Franklin,
Jay, and Henry Laurens for the
United States and Richard Oswald
for Great Britain on November 30,
1782.
 The final treaty was signed on
September 3, 1783, and ratified by
the Continental Congress early in
1784.
And that was the beginning of the U.S.A.
Siege of Yorktown Video
http://www.history.com/topics/americanrevolution/siege-of-yorktown/videos/1781-victory-atyorktown-helps-end-the-american-revolution