The Battle of Yorktown was the last major battle of the Revolution. It happened in Yorktown, Virginia, between September and October 19, 1781. The battle involved the Americans and British, but the French were allies to the Americans. This gave the Americans a greater number of people over the British. The American army was lead by General George Washington and the British army was lead by General Charles Cornwallis. Cornwallis and his 7,000 troops picked Yorktown because he thought the British navy would bring fresh troops and supplies but a fleet of 20 French ships blocked the British navy from entering the Chesapeake Bay. The Americans planned to end the war at Yorktown and they did on October 19, 1781. It caused the Thirteen Colonies to win their freedom from Great Britain.

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http://www.mcps.k12.md.us/curriculum/socialstd

Our Country,  Silver Burdett Ginn, 1995

The Battle of Yorktown,  Thomas J. Fleming, American Heritage Junior Library, Harper & Row, 1968