Both sides were desperately seeking a definitive victory. For the colonies, the long struggle for independence was leading to enormous debt, food shortages, and a lack of morale among the soldiers. The American conflict was unpopular and divisive, and there was no end in sight. On the other side of the Atlantic, Britain was also waging a global war with France and Spain. The British, in hostile territory, held only a few coastal areas in America. In contextĪfter six years of war, both the British and Continental armies were exhausted. This last major land battle of the American Revolution led to negotiations for peace with the British and the signing of the Treaty of Paris in 1783. Outnumbered and outfought during a three-week siege in which they sustained great losses, British troops surrendered to the Continental Army and their French allies. The British surrender forecast the end of British rule in the colonies and the birth of a new nation-the United States of America. The Battle of Yorktown proved to be the decisive engagement of the American Revolution. Saved Land Browse Interactive Map View active campaigns.Help Tell African American Stories of Valor.Protect 239 Acres at Todd’s Tavern & Globe Tavern in Virginia.
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