British Surrender Field at Yorktown

The ‘Surrender Field’ is a historic site in Virginia and part of the battlefields of Yorktown where the British Army was defeated in the American Revolutionary War. Colonial National Historical Park encompasses the battlefield, other historic sites around Yorktown and nearby settlements of Jamestown. Over 3 million people visit the park each year.

Yorktown Battlefield is at the eastern end of the Colonial Parkway in York County at Yorktown. A short drive away is the Moore House where surrender negotiations took place in 1781, located in the eastern part of the park.

On October 14, 1781, General George Washington of the American Revolutionary Army sent two columns to attack the last major remaining British outer defenses in Yorktown. A French column under Vicomte de Deux-Ponts took Redoubt No. 9 and an American column under Lieutenant Colonel Alexander Hamilton took Redoubt No. 10. With these defenses taken, the Franco-American artillery closer and its bombardment more intense than ever, the British position began to deteriorate rapidly. General Cornwallis asked for capitulation terms on October 17. After two days of negotiation, the surrender ceremony occurred on October 19.

An observation tower is located at an overlook above the battlefield with an audio guide narrating the surrender ceremony. British Cannons from the surrender event are displayed on the outside walls. With the capture of more than 7,000 British soldiers, negotiations between the United States and Great Britain began, resulting in the Treaty of Paris of 1783 and recognition of the United States of America as a sovereign country.

During the battle of Yorktown, the city of Williamsburg was the capital of the Colony of Virginia, about 20 miles from the surrender field. Today, it is the location of the restored Colonial Williamsburg, a live history museum restored and preserved to its Colonial Era status. Watch the video below for a first look at this historic town.