10/20/2025
On this date in history, October 19, 1781, the world was turned upside down.
After weeks of being trapped and bombarded at Yorktown, Virginia, British General Lord Cornwallis finally saw that his position was hopeless.
His forces were surrounded on land by a combined army of American and French soldiers led by General George Washington, and his sea escape was cut off by the French Navy.
On that day, the formal surrender took place. More than 7,000 British soldiers laid down their arms, marking the most significant defeat for the Crown in the entire war. 🇺🇸
Interestingly, General Cornwallis claimed to be ill and did not attend the ceremony himself. He sent his second-in-command, General Charles O'Hara, in his place.
O'Hara first attempted to surrender his sword to the French Commander, who then directed him to General Washington. Washington, upholding military protocol, had O'Hara present the sword to his own second-in-command, Benjamin Lincoln.
This was a poignant moment, as it was Lincoln who had been forced to surrender to the British at Charleston a year earlier. 🙏
As the defeated British soldiers marched out to lay down their weapons, their bands are said to have played a tune called “The World Turned Upside Down.”
The surrender at Yorktown effectively ended major combat in the American Revolution and was the final blow that led to negotiations for peace.
This victory secured American independence and laid the foundation for the United States of America.
