THE BATTLE OF YORK TOWN THE TURNING POINT FOR THE WAR OF INDEPENDENCE
THE BATTLE OF YORK TOWN WAS PROBABLY ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT BATTLES OF THE REVOLUTIONARY WAR. WITH THE AMERICAN COLONISTS ALLIED WITH THE FRENCH, THEY WERE ABLE TO CAPTURE A SIGNIFICANT PART OF BRITISH ARMY. EVEN WITH THIS CAPTURE, THIS BATTLE TURNED THE TIDE OF THE WAR IN A MUCH DIFFERENT WAY. THE BRITISH PUBLIC STARTING TURNING AGAINST THEIR GOVERNMENT AND PARLIAMENT WAS GETTING FED UP WITH THE LENGTH AND COST OF THE WAR. IT ALSO DID A GREAT DEAL TO LIFT THE MORALE OF WASHINGTON'S TROOPS. IT ALSO MADE THE CONTINENTAL TROOPS REALIZE, FOR THE FIRST TIME, THAT THEY WOULD PROBABLY WIN. NEW YORK WAS OCCUPIED BY THE BRITISH AND WASHINGTON WANTED IT BACK. SEEKING HELP FROM THE NEWLY ARRIVED FRENCH ARMY, HE STARTED MAKING PLANS FOR ATTACK. IT BECAME CLEAR THAT THEY PROBABLY WOULDN'T WIN. THEN WASHINGTON HEARD ABOUT THE SOUTHERN OCCUPATION MOVEMENTS. MAJOR GENERAL LORD CORNWAILLIS WAS STARTING TO LOSE HIS CONTROL OVER THE FAR SOUTH, MAINLY THE CAROLINAS, SO HE MOVED HIS TROOPS UP INTO VIRGINIA AND TOOK YORK TOWN AND GLOUCESTER. THESE TWO TOWNS, ONE ON EACH SIDE OF THE YORK RIVER, GAVE HIM A GOOD POSITION TO WAIT FOR SUPPLIES THAT THE BRITISH WERE SENDING. GENERAL WASHINGTON LEARNED ABOUT THE FRENCH ADMIRAL DE GRASSE BRING IN A BRITISH NAVAL FLEET AND REINFORCEMENTS. HE SAW THIS AS A GOOD OPPORTUNITY TO STRIKE A BLOW TO THE BRITISH ARMY. ALONG WITH LIEUTENANT GENERAL DE ROCHAMBEAU, AND DOING FAKE MILITARY STRATEGIES ALONG THE WAY, THEY STARTED SECRETLY MARCHING TOWARD YORK TOWN ON AUGUST 19, 1781. ON SEPTEMBER 14 THEY MET WITH OTHER FRENCH TROOPS AND BEGAN ORGANIZING TROOPS AND RESTING AFTER A LONG MARCH. THE COMBINED FORCES MARCHED OUT OF WILLIAMSBURG AND FORMED A SEMI-CIRCLE AROUND YORK TOWN ON SEPTEMBER 28. THE FRENCH HAD FORCED THE BRITISH ARMY OUT OF CHESAPEAKE BAY AND LANDED 3,000 MORE ALLIED TROOPS. ON SEPTEMBER 30, WITH APPROXIMATELY 17,000 ALLIED TROOPS, GENERALS WASHINGTON AND ROCHAMBEAU BEGAN STARTING BATTLE OPERATIONS. THEY HAD THE BRITISH FORCES SURROUNDED AND STARTED DIGGING TRENCHES AND SETTING UP LINES. ON OCTOBER 9 THE FRENCH NAVAL FLEETS STARTED BOMBING CORNWAILLIS' TROOPS. THIS GAVE THE COLONIAL AND FRENCH FORCES AN ADVANTAGE DURING THE BATTLE.
ON OCTOBER 14 AMERICAN TROOPS HAD ALMOST WON THE BATTLE. THEY HAD STORMED MANY OF THE BRITISH REDOUBTS( USUALLY SQUARE, TEMPORARY, FORTIFICATIONS WITH NO DEFENSES IN THE BACK. THIS LOST THE BRITISH MANY OF THEIR GUNS, SUPPLIES, AND AMMUNITION. ON OCTOBER 17 AFTER BEING HEAVILY BOMBARDED BY FRENCH ARTILLERY, HAVING NO MORE HEAVY AMMUNITION, AND WASHINGTON'S ARMIES CREATING HEAVY LOSSES, CORNWALLIS DECIDED TO CUT HIS LOSSES. A DRUMMER AND BRITISH OFFICER WERE SENT UNDER THE WHITE FLAG OF TRUCE TO NEGOTIATE TERMS OF SURRENDER. ON OCTOBER 19 SURRENDER TERMS WERE SIGNED. EVERYONE WAS LOOKING FOR LORD CORNWALLIS BUT HE WASN'T THERE. HIS SECOND IN COMMAND, GENERAL O'HARA, APOLOGIZED FOR HIS ABSENCE, CLAIMING THAT HE WAS SICK. HE TOOK HIS POSITION AS LEADER OF THE ARMY FOR THE SURRENDER. A BRITISH ARMY PLAYED "THE WORLD TURNED UPSIDE DOWN" DURING THE CEROMONY. O'HARA TRIED TO SURRENDER TO GENERAL DE ROCHAMBEAU AND WAS DIRECTED TO GENERAL WASHINGTON. WASHINGTON IN TURN DIRECTED HIM TO HIS SECOND IN COMMAND, GENERAL LINCON. EVEN THOUGH THE AMERICANS WEREN'T DRESSED IN NICE UNIFORMS THEY HELD THEIR HEADS HIGH WHILE THE BRITISH SURRENDERED THEIR GUNS IN A VERY ANGRY WAY. TWO YEARS LATER PARLIMENT SIGNED THE DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE.
TEST QUESTIONS- WHAT CITY DID WASHINGTON ORIGINALLY WANT TO ATTACK? A-PHILADELPHIA B- BALTIMORE C- NEW YORK
-WHAT WAS LORD CORNWALLIS' REASON FOR NOT ATTENDING THE SURRENDER CEREMONY? A- HE WAS BADLY INJURED. B- HE WAS SICK. C- HE HAD TO ATTEND BUSINESS ELSEWHE