What was the last major battle of the American Revolution, where Cornwallis surrendered after Franco-American forces blocked British escape?

• A. Battle of Saratoga
• B. Battle of Yorktown
• C. Battle of Lexington
• D. Battle of Bunker Hill

Answer: (B)

The final turning point of the war came when a coordinated Franco-American siege trapped Cornwallis at Yorktown and blocked British escape by sea. The Battle of Yorktown, in 1781, saw Washington’s forces linking with Rochambeau on land while a French fleet under de Grasse controlled the Chesapeake, preventing any relief or evacuation for the British. With no way to break the siege, Cornwallis surrendered on October 19, 1781. This effectively ended major fighting and set the stage for the Treaty of Paris in 1783. Earlier battles like Lexington and Bunker Hill were fought at the war’s start, and Saratoga was a crucial victory that secured French alliance, but neither was the final surrender.