– Revolutionary War Series –
The Battle of Yorktown, the last major engagement of the American Revolution, was a decisive victory for Gen. George Washington’s Continental Army and the death knell for continued British occupation. Today, the site of the 1781 battle is protected by Colonial National Historical Park, near the banks of the York River on Virginia Peninsula. Beginning at the park visitor center, the Yorktown Battlefield Auto Tour weaves in and out of the British and Allied (American and French) lines, restored to mimic their appearance during the multi-week siege that ended in mid-October 1781. There are also stops at the Yorktown National Cemetery—dedicated to the Civil War battle that took place here 81 years later—as well as the Moore House (where British surrender negotiations took place) and the Surrender Field (where thousands of Redcoats laid down their arms). The Yorktown Victory Monument, near downtown Yorktown, caps off the tour. (Note: A second, longer driving route–the Washington Encampment Tour–circuits the French and American rear bases in the woods to the west and south of the battlefield.)
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