Battle of Yorktown The battle that won independence
Battle of Yorktown The battle that won independence
Facts • • Battle: YORKTOWN Date: 28 th September to 19 th October 1781 Place: Virginia Combatants: Americans and French against the British
Facts • Generals: General Washington - Americans General de Rochambeau - French General Lord Cornwallis - British • Size of the armies: 8, 800 Americans, 7, 800 French, 6, 000 British
Questions • Why is this battle known as the battle that won American independence? • Who was the American commander? • Who was the French commander? • Who was the British commander? • Did the American alliance or the British have more troops?
Questions • What is important about this map of the Battle of Yorktown? • What were the British forces missing, that the American/French forces had? • What strategic mistake did the British forces make?
Battle • French fleet effectively blocked aid from Cornwallis • Washington made life unbearable for the British troops with three weeks of shelling (bombing) • British were outnumbered by a two to one factor • British were running low on food and ammunition and still awaiting help
Questions • Why could the British not resupply their forces in Yorktown? • How would you feel if you were under bombardment for three straight weeks with no chance to evacuate?
Outcome & Treaty of Paris • Cornwallis officially surrendered on October 19 th, 1781 • British signed the Treaty of Paris: signed on September 3, 1783 • formally ended the war, and officially recognized American independence. *Britain agreed to remove all of its troops from America. *set new borders for the United States *America agreed to pay all existing debts owed to Britain, not to persecute loyalists still in America, and allow those that left America to return.
Question • Why was it important that the British were forced to sign their loss of the American Colonies in the Treaty of Paris?
- Slides: 10