Yorktown and the End of the War

Question 1

9 points

What was the events of the battle of Yorktown?

Answer 1

• May 1781: Cornwallis marched into Virginia to attack the patriots, hoping to be supplied by sea.
• A French fleet under Admiral de Grasse arrives, meaning Cornwallis can’t be supplied by sea.
• Washington hears of the French fleet, and he marches his forces and the French forces under Rochambeau 450 miles in 30 days to reach chesapeake bay.
• September 1781: Adrmiral Graves leads a fleet of 19 ships to attack de Grasse, but loses the battle and de Grasse stays in control of access to Chesapeake bay.
• Cornwalis wants to return to South Carolina, but is ordered to stay by Clinton. He establishes a base in Yorktown, on the banks of the river York.
• September 1781: Washington and Rochambeau arrive with their army of 16,000 men and begin to lay siege to Yorktown.
• October 1781: Alexander Hamilton leads an attack which captures two key British positions, allowing Washington to move his cannons and mortars within 350 yards of British lines.
• 19th October: Running short on food and suffering heavy casualties due to American bombardement, Cornwallis surrenders.
• On the same day, Clinton sailed from New York with a support fleet, but it arrives far to late to make a difference.

Question 2

3 points

What were the consequences of Yorktown?

Answer 2

• Loss of British Forces: A quarter of British forces surrendered in Yorktown.
• Demoralisation of the Loyalists: The terms of surrender that Cornwallis signed meant that loyalists were not given prisoner of war status. They were subjected to many harsh punishments and even executions, leading them to feel abandoned by the British.
• Transformation of Patriot Forces: In early 1781 the Patriot cause looked weak, with Congress not sending them enough supplies, men deserting or refusing to enlist as well as Congress running out of money and stopping paying troops. Thier victory at Yorktown transformed the Patriot forces.

Question 3

4 points

How did their loss at Yorktown lead the British to surrender in the war?

Answer 3

• Following Yorktown, the British lost the will to continue fighting. The cost of keeping fighting was allways going to increase, and there was a sense that victory was very far off.
• The also knew that it would be very difficult to replace the quarter of thier troops which surrendered at Yorktown.
• They needed to prioritise the struggle against Spain and France in the Caribbean and Mediteranian - Britain lost come Islands in the Caribbean (e.g. St Kitts) to de Grasse in Feb 1782. Their other colonies (esp. the West Indies) were more important to them than America.
• In March 1782 Lord North lost a lot of seats in the HoC and resigned. He was replaced by Lord Rockingham, who wanted peace and open negotiations with the Patriots.

Question 4

What was the Peace Treaty marking the end of the War, and when was it signed?

Answer 4

The Peace of Paris, 1783

Question 5

3 points

What were the terms of the Peace of Paris?

Answer 5

• Britain recognised American independence.
• They agreed that the boundaries of America would extend west to the Mississippi River, north to the St Lawrence River and Great Lakes, and south to the thirty-first parallel, the northern boundary to Florida.
• Americans were granted the “liberty” to fish the Newfoundland banks and to dry and cure fish in Nova Scotia and Labrador.