Siege of Yorktown
The Siege of Yorktown, sometimes also referred to as the Battle of Yorktown or the Surrender of Yorktown, was the closing battle of the American Revolutionary War.
History
Fought between Continental and British forces, the siege took place in and around Yorktown, Virginia. George Washington and the Marquis de Lafayette began an assault on the British-held city on 28 September 1781,[1] where the British General Charles Cornwallis had stationed his troops with the intention of trapping the American leaders on the cape.[2]
With the support of the French Navy, Washington and Lafayette laid siege to the city and engaged Cornwallis' troops in the fields around it for the next three weeks. The British were unable to either escape or provide reinforcements due to the success of the French with the Battle of the Chesapeake, allowing for a French naval blockade of the Chesapeake Bay.[2] Aside from Connor's assistance in the blockade, the Colonial Assassins also covertly aided the American command on land, eliminating British threats as the battle went on.[3]
The main force of Continental and French troops marched to Yorktown near the end of September and began to settle in. By October 6th the trenches were built and the siege had begun.[2]
The key to Washington's strategy was the artillery brought in by the French army. It bombarded the city for more than a week, wearing down defenses until French and Continental troops successfully stormed two redoubts outside the city on October 14. This put the artillery in a place where it could reach the city itself, and Cornwallis' defenses quickly crumbled under the onslaught. He surrendered on October 19th.[2]
Aftermath
This fall of Yorktown essentially broke the political will in Britain to continue the war - it had become too costly. The Parliament started peace negotiations.[2]
The British finally recognized the Declaration of Independence and opened negotiations to officially end the war, culminating in the Treaty of Paris in 1783.[1]
In the aftermath of the battle, Washington found an Apple of Eden at Yorktown, which would plague him with dreams and visions of being corrupted by the artifact's power and ruling the United States as a tyrannical king.[4]
Appearances
- Assassin's Creed III (first appearance)
- The Tyranny of King Washington: The Redemption (indirect mention only)
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1
Siege of Yorktown on Wikipedia
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 Assassin's Creed III – Database: Battle of Yorktown
- ↑ Assassin's Creed III – Virginia: "The Saboteur"
- ↑ Assassin's Creed III – The Tyranny of King Washington: The Redemption – Lucid Memory Fragments
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