Colonial National Historical Park United States

Legendary

Explore the site of the battle that ended the American Revolutionary War.

Photo by Ken Lund

When the British finally surrendered at Yorktown, their commander didn't show up. General Charles Cornwallis said he was too ill to attend and sent a deputy to hand over his sword instead.

Most historians think he simply couldn't face it. His army had just lost the battle that ended the American Revolution.

The park protects two places that bookend colonial America. Jamestown, where English settlers first landed in 1607, and Yorktown, where British rule over the colonies effectively ended 174 years later.

A 23-mile road called the Colonial Parkway connects them, winding along two rivers through forest and marsh.

The Yorktown story starts in the summer of 1781. Cornwallis marched his army into the small port town expecting British ships to arrive from New York with supplies and reinforcements.

The ships never came. A French fleet under Admiral de Grasse had taken control of the bay and blocked the way in.

That trapped Cornwallis with his back to the water. In late September, about 17,000 American and French troops surrounded the town.

George Washington led the American forces. French General Rochambeau commanded the troops France had sent to help, an alliance the two countries had signed back in 1778.

The siege lasted three weeks. Cannons pounded the British defenses day and night until food and ammunition ran low.

On October 19, 1781, Cornwallis surrendered around 8,000 soldiers. Britain didn't have the money to raise another army, and peace talks began soon after.

Drive the battlefield tour road past the earth walls and cannons the armies actually used. Visit the Moore House, the small building where officers worked out the surrender terms. Stand on Surrender Field, where the defeated British army laid down its weapons.