Siege of Yorktown

E14883

battle of the American Revolutionary War military conflict siege

The Siege of Yorktown was the decisive 1781 American Revolutionary War battle in which combined American and French forces forced the surrender of a major British army, effectively securing American independence.

Aliases (6)

Battle of Yorktown ×6
Yorktown campaign ×6
British surrender at Yorktown ×2
Surrender at Yorktown ×2
Siege of Yorktown (1781) ×1
Siege of Yorktown (campaign context, diversionary raid before siege) ×1

Statements (48)

Predicate	Object
instanceOf	battle of the American Revolutionary War → military conflict → siege →
alsoKnownAs	Battle of Yorktown → Surrender at Yorktown →
approximateStrengthAllied	about 17,000 troops →
approximateStrengthBritish	about 8,000 troops →
belligerent	Kingdom of France → Kingdom of Great Britain → United States →
casusBelli	British campaign to pacify the southern colonies →
commander	Charles Cornwallis → François Joseph Paul de Grasse → George Washington → Jean-Baptiste Donatien de Vimeur, comte de Rochambeau →
commemoratedBy	Colonial National Historical Park → Yorktown Battlefield → Yorktown Victory Monument →
conflict	American Revolutionary War →
country	United States →
endDate	1781-10-19 →
followedBy	British decision to cease offensive operations in America →
hasParticipant	British Army → Continental Army → French Army → French Navy → Hessian auxiliaries →
hasTheme	Franco-American military cooperation → decisive use of naval superiority →
location	Yorktown, Virginia →
notableEvent	storming of Redoubt 10 → storming of Redoubt 9 →
notableUnit	French Royal Deux-Ponts Regiment → Hamilton’s light infantry battalion → Lafayette’s division →
partOf	Southern theater of the American Revolutionary War →
precededBy	Battle of the Chesapeake →
result	decisive Franco-American victory → surrender of British army under Charles Cornwallis →
significance	effectively ended major combat operations in the American Revolutionary War → prompted negotiations leading to the Treaty of Paris (1783) → secured de facto American independence →
startDate	1781-09-28 →
strategicObjective	capture or destroy Cornwallis’s army →
surrenderDate	1781-10-19 →
surrenderedForce	British Army under Cornwallis →
tactic	siege warfare → trench parallels and artillery bombardment →

Referenced by (42)

Subject (surface form when different)	Predicate
Battle of the Chesapeake ("Yorktown campaign") → British Army under Cornwallis ("Yorktown campaign") → French Royal Deux-Ponts Regiment ("Yorktown campaign") → Lafayette’s division ("Yorktown campaign") → Storming of Redoubt 9 ("Yorktown campaign") →	campaign
American Revolutionary War ("Surrender at Yorktown") → Continental Army → Patriots ("Battle of Yorktown") → Southern theater of the American Revolutionary War → Yorktown ("Siege of Yorktown (1781)") →	significantEvent
Charles Cornwallis, 1st Marquess Cornwallis → Henry Knox → Marquis de Lafayette →	battle
USS Yorktown (CV-5) ("Battle of Yorktown") → USS Yorktown (CV-5) ("Battle of Yorktown") → Yorktown, New York →	namedAfter
Jean-Baptiste Donatien de Vimeur, comte de Rochambeau → Lafayette → Lafayette’s division →	participatedIn
Siege of Yorktown ("Battle of Yorktown") → Siege of Yorktown ("Surrender at Yorktown") →	alsoKnownAs
American Revolutionary War ("Battle of Yorktown") → American Revolutionary War →	hasPart
British Army under Cornwallis → French Royal Deux-Ponts Regiment →	notableBattle
Hamilton’s light infantry battalion → Hessian troops →	notableEngagement
Storming of Redoubt 9 → Storming of Redoubt 9 ("Yorktown campaign") →	partOf
Battle of Eutaw Springs → Storming of Redoubt 9 ("British surrender at Yorktown") →	relatedEvent
Yorktown Victory Monument →	commemorates
Continental Artillery →	engagement
Battle of Guilford Court House →	followedBy
Yorktown →	knownFor
François Joseph Paul de Grasse →	notableWork
François Joseph Paul de Grasse ("British surrender at Yorktown") →	playedRoleIn
Battle of Groton Heights ("Siege of Yorktown (campaign context, diversionary raid before siege)") →	precededBy
French Army ("Battle of Yorktown") →	significantBattle
Battle of the Chesapeake →	supportedOperation
Charles Cornwallis →	surrenderEvent
Colonial National Historical Park →	topic