---
title: "Battle of Yorktown — APUSH Definition & Exam Guide"
description: "The Battle of Yorktown (1781) was the Revolution's last major battle, where Washington and French forces trapped Cornwallis. Key for APUSH Topic 3.5 and the Treaty of Paris."
canonical: "https://fiveable.me/apush/key-terms/battle-of-yorktown"
type: "key-term"
subject: "AP US History"
unit: "Unit 3"
---

# Battle of Yorktown — APUSH Definition & Exam Guide

## Definition

The Battle of Yorktown (September 28–October 19, 1781) was the last major battle of the American Revolution, in which combined American and French forces under Washington and Rochambeau besieged British General Cornwallis at Yorktown, Virginia, forcing his surrender and pushing Britain toward peace negotiations.

## What It Is

The Battle of Yorktown was the final major battle of the [American Revolutionary War](/apush/key-terms/american-revolutionary-war "fv-autolink"), fought from September 28 to October 19, 1781. British General Cornwallis had moved his army to Yorktown, Virginia, a port on the [Chesapeake](/apush/key-terms/chesapeake "fv-autolink") Bay, expecting the Royal Navy to supply or evacuate him. Instead, a French fleet blocked the bay while George Washington's Continental Army and French troops under General Rochambeau surrounded Cornwallis on land. Trapped with no escape by sea or land, Cornwallis surrendered about 8,000 troops.

For [APUSH](/apush "fv-autolink"), Yorktown is less about the tactics and more about what it proves. It's the moment where the factors behind American victory all show up at once. Washington's leadership, the French alliance, and Patriot persistence combined to defeat what looked like an unbeatable empire. After Yorktown, major fighting in the colonies ended, and Britain moved to negotiate the peace that became the Treaty of Paris in 1783.

## Why It Matters

Yorktown lives in **[Unit 3](/apush/unit-3 "fv-autolink") (Independence and Nation-Building, 1754-1800), Topic 3.5: The American Revolution**, and it's basically the punchline of learning objective **APUSH 3.5.A**, which asks you to explain how various factors contributed to American victory. The CED's essential knowledge lists those factors directly. Despite loyalist opposition and Britain's overwhelming military and financial advantages, the [Patriots](/apush/key-terms/patriots "fv-autolink") won because of colonial militias and the Continental Army, Washington's military leadership, ideological commitment and resilience, and help from European allies. Yorktown is the single clearest example of those factors working together, since the victory was literally impossible without the French navy controlling the Chesapeake. If an exam question asks you to explain WHY the underdog colonies won, Yorktown is your closing evidence.

## Connections

### [Battle of Saratoga (Unit 3)](/apush/key-terms/battle-of-saratoga)

Saratoga (1777) and Yorktown (1781) are cause and effect. Saratoga convinced France the Patriots could actually win, which brought the French troops and ships that made the Yorktown trap possible. Think of Saratoga as the turning point and Yorktown as the payoff.

### [Treaty of Paris 1783 (Unit 3)](/apush/key-terms/treaty-of-paris-1783)

Cornwallis's surrender didn't legally end the war, it just made Britain willing to negotiate. The [Treaty of Paris](/apush/key-terms/treaty-of-paris "fv-autolink"), two years later, is the document that actually granted American independence. On the exam, keep the military ending (Yorktown) and the diplomatic ending (Treaty of Paris) straight.

### [George Washington (Units 3)](/apush/key-terms/george-washington)

Washington's coordination with Rochambeau, marching the army south to Virginia while the French fleet sealed the bay, is the go-to evidence for 'Washington's military leadership' in APUSH 3.5.A. Yorktown also built the reputation that made him the obvious first president.

### [Battle of Lexington and Concord (Unit 3)](/apush/key-terms/battle-of-lexington-and-concord)

These battles bookend the Revolution. Lexington and Concord (1775) opened the fighting with scrappy militias; Yorktown (1781) closed it with a professional [Continental Army](/apush/key-terms/continental-army "fv-autolink") backed by a European ally. That arc itself is a great continuity-and-change point about how the Patriot war effort matured.

## On the AP Exam

Yorktown usually shows up in multiple-choice and short-answer questions tied to APUSH 3.5.A, asking you to explain the factors behind American victory. Practice questions often frame it around leadership, like asking which American leader's strategy was crucial in securing victory at Yorktown (answer: Washington, coordinating with Rochambeau and the French fleet). No released FRQ has used the battle name verbatim, but it's prime evidence for any essay on why the Revolution succeeded or on the impact of foreign alliances. The move that earns points isn't narrating the siege. It's using Yorktown to PROVE a claim, like 'French naval support was decisive, as shown when the French fleet blocked Cornwallis's escape at Yorktown in 1781.'

## Battle of Yorktown vs Battle of Saratoga

Both are 'most important battle' answers, so pick carefully. Saratoga (1777) is the TURNING POINT because it brought France into the war as an ally. Yorktown (1781) is the DECISIVE FINAL battle that ended major fighting and led to peace talks. If the question is about why France allied with the colonies, the answer is Saratoga. If it's about what ended the war, it's Yorktown.

## Key Takeaways

- The Battle of Yorktown (September 28–October 19, 1781) was the last major battle of the American Revolution, ending with Cornwallis surrendering about 8,000 British troops.
- The victory required the French alliance. Rochambeau's troops fought alongside Washington's army while the French fleet blocked the Chesapeake Bay so Cornwallis couldn't escape by sea.
- Yorktown is the clearest example of the CED's factors for American victory in APUSH 3.5.A, combining Washington's leadership, the Continental Army, Patriot resilience, and European assistance.
- Yorktown ended major military operations but not the war on paper. The Treaty of Paris in 1783 officially secured American independence.
- Don't mix up the two famous battles. Saratoga (1777) was the turning point that brought France into the war, and Yorktown (1781) was the decisive ending it made possible.

## FAQs

### What was the Battle of Yorktown and why was it important?

The Battle of Yorktown (September 28–October 19, 1781) was the last major battle of [the American Revolution](/apush/unit-3/american-revolution/study-guide/qmZACCrcWZjV1YajNd9d "fv-autolink"). American and French forces under Washington and Rochambeau besieged British General Cornwallis at Yorktown, Virginia, forcing his surrender and pushing Britain toward peace negotiations.

### Did the Battle of Yorktown officially end the Revolutionary War?

No. Yorktown ended major fighting in the colonies, but the war officially ended with the Treaty of Paris in 1783, which recognized American independence. APUSH questions love testing the gap between the military ending and the diplomatic one.

### How is Yorktown different from Saratoga?

Saratoga (1777) was the turning point that convinced France to ally with the Patriots. Yorktown (1781) was the decisive final battle, won with the French help that Saratoga secured. Turning point versus ending is the distinction the exam tests.

### Who won the Battle of Yorktown and who surrendered?

The Americans and French won. George Washington and French General Rochambeau trapped British General Cornwallis between their armies and the French fleet in the Chesapeake, and Cornwallis surrendered roughly 8,000 troops on October 19, 1781.

### Why does APUSH care so much about French involvement at Yorktown?

Because the CED's essential knowledge for 3.5.A names 'assistance sent by European allies' as a reason the Patriots beat a stronger empire. Yorktown is the proof. Without the French navy sealing the bay, Cornwallis could have escaped or been resupplied.

## Related Study Guides

- [3.5 The American Revolution](/apush/unit-3/american-revolution/study-guide/qmZACCrcWZjV1YajNd9d)

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