# British army surrenders at Yorktown (1781)

URL: https://english-history.com/timeline/1781-british-army-surrenders-at-yorktown
Categories: battle, main-event

Lord Cornwallis surrendered to American and French forces in Virginia. Within the broader Georgian Britain period, parliamentary government, industrialization, imperial expansion, war with France and political reform turned Britain into a global commercial and military power. This event is placed at 19 October 1781 in the chronology so it can be read alongside the political, military, social and cultural changes around it. The defeat made the recovery of the thirteen colonies politically unrealistic.

## Why it matters
The defeat made the recovery of the thirteen colonies politically unrealistic.

Ruler at the time: [George III](https://english-history.com/rulers/george-iii)

## Sources
- [Wikipedia topic lookup — British army surrenders at Yorktown](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:Search?search=British+army+surrenders+at+Yorktown&go=Go)
- [Encyclopaedia Britannica topic lookup — British army surrenders at Yorktown](https://www.britannica.com/search?query=British+army+surrenders+at+Yorktown)
- [Wikipedia — Timeline of British history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timeline_of_British_history_%281700%E2%80%931799%29)
- [The National Archives — empire and industry resources](https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/education/)