This Week in History

October 19, 1781, British General Cornwallis surrendered his army of 8,000 to General Washington at Yorktown. Cornwallis had marched his army to the port of Yorktown, Virginia that summer expecting to meet British ships sent from New York. There were no ships.

About 17,000 American and French troops led by General Washington and French General Rochambeau, surrounded the British occupied Yorktown....