Final answer:
The Battle of Yorktown is where Cornwallis surrendered to Washington on October 19, 1781, a momentous event that contributed significantly to the American colonists winning independence from Great Britain. The decisive moment came when French and American forces outnumbered and besieged the British troops, leading to their surrender.
Step-by-step explanation:
The Battle that culminated in Cornwallis's surrender to Washington on October 19, 1781, was the Battle of Yorktown. This crucial event in American history unfolded when General Cornwallis moved his British forces to Yorktown, Virginia, presuming that the Royal Navy would facilitate his intended journey to New York. However, an allied French and American force of approximately sixteen thousand individuals encapsulated Yorktown, striking opportunistically. Washington fiercely led his refined troop southwards, alongside French troops under the Marquis de Lafayette and the Comte de Rochambeau. The French Admiral de Grasse crucially blocked Cornwallis's potential escape by sea via the Chesapeake Bay. After enduring a siege that lasted around eight days, Cornwallis officially surrendered on October 19, 1781. Historically, this event is associated with the British band's rendition of "The World Turned Upside Down" as a tribute to the remarkable twist of fate. The surrender at Yorktown is often seen as the catalyst triggering the end of the American Revolutionary War, setting the stage for American Independence from Great Britain.
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