What Was the Last Battle of the Revolutionary War?
The last battle of the American Revolutionary War was the Battle of Yorktown, in which General George Washington won a decisive victory over British General Cornwallis. This defeat led to the Treaty of Paris, which ended the war.
Just before the battle, General Nathaniel Greene had driven the British from the Carolinas, forcing them to march east and north. They retreated to Yorktown on the York River. However, this left them vulnerable to the approaching French and American navies, who blockaded the river, and to Washington’s army marching down from the north. Unable to escape, the British army was besieged from Sept. 28 through Oct. 19, 1781. Eventually, Cornwallis, pleading illness, sent out his adjutant General Charles O’Hara to surrender to George Washington.
