The last major battle of the Revolutionary War was the Siege of Yorktown, which took place from September 28 to October 19, 1781. This decisive confrontation involved American and French forces, under General George Washington, laying siege to British General Cornwallis’s troops, who were trapped in Yorktown, Virginia. The Americans’ victory effectively ended major military operations in the war, as the British were unable to receive reinforcements or escape. The surrender of Cornwallis and his army marked a turning point that eventually led to the negotiation of peace and the recognition of American independence.