BATTLE OF YORKTOWN

1781

KENZEE

Why we were fighting…The 13 colonies had grown tired of the demands and

unfair practices of King George III and ParliamentWe wanted freedom from:Quartering British soldiers Taxation without representation

We wanted freedom to: Have jury trialsTrade with other countriesMake our own laws for our colonies

Where was the Battle of Yorktown?

The battle was in Yorktown, Virginia, located on the Chesapeake Bay

Map of the Battle of Yorktown

Who were we fighting?

• This was who we were fighting, the redcoats

• This was our leader, GENERAL GEORGE WASHINGTON, he lead us through the fight

THE FRENCH ARE COMING, THE FRENCH ARE COMING!!

• They are coming to attack the British

• They were our allies helping us fight the British

Who was the French leader?

Lieutenant General Rochambeau

Who was the British Leader?

• General Charles Cornwallis

Cornwallis was a loyal soldier

But he opposed nearly all of the British policies that led to the American Revolution.

Why did Cornwallis choose Yorktown?

Cornwallis set up at Yorktown where it was easy for British ships to land supplies

Battle StrategyWashington’s troops surrounded the British

on land and the French ships blocked their escape in the Chesapeake Bay

• American troops storming the redoubt

• A redoubt is a protective place of refuge or defense

The British Surrender

Cornwallis claimed he was too sick to attend the surrender ceremony

Importance of Yorktown

The Battle of Yorktown did not end the war, but it was the last battle in the colonies and was the beginning of the end

The signing of the Treaty of Paris on September 3, 1783, officially ended the American Revolution