Final answer:
General George Washington employed a combination of a strategic siege and coordination with French forces to trap and defeat General Cornwallis at Yorktown, leading to the British surrender and the end of large-scale operations in the American Revolutionary War.
Step-by-step explanation:
The victory of General George Washington and his troops over General Cornwallis at Yorktown was a crucial turning point in the American Revolutionary War. Washington's tactics included a decisive siege that capitalized on the strategic error of Cornwallis to establish his base in Yorktown. Unaware of the strength and movement of American and French forces, Cornwallis neglected to retreat to a more defensible position. A key to the success of Washington's strategy was the coordination with French land forces and a French naval blockade under Admiral de Grasse, which prevented Cornwallis's escape by sea. This culminated in Cornwallis's surrender after being overwhelmed by the disciplined American troops and their French allies, effectively ending British hopes of quelling the rebellion.