Conflicts & Resolutions · Siege

Siege of Yorktown

1781 · 18th century · Part of the American Revolutionary War

The Siege of Yorktown, in Virginia, was the last major battle of the American Revolutionary War. From late September to 19 October 1781 a combined American and French army under George Washington and the Comte de Rochambeau, with a French fleet blocking relief by sea, besieged the British army of Lord Cornwallis, whose surrender led Britain to open peace negotiations.

Siege of Yorktown
Image: John Trumbull · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons
Cite this entry
APA
The Epoch Institute. (2026). Siege of Yorktown. In The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/siege-of-yorktown
MLA
“Siege of Yorktown.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/siege-of-yorktown. Accessed .
Chicago
The Epoch Institute. “Siege of Yorktown.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/siege-of-yorktown.
Harvard
The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘Siege of Yorktown’, The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/siege-of-yorktown (Accessed: ).

Last reviewed October 2026Random entry ↻