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Primary sourceDocument19 October 1781

Articles of Capitulation, Yorktown

Charles Cornwallis; George Washington; Comte de Rochambeau; Comte de Barras · 19 October 1781

The signed surrender terms ending the Siege of Yorktown in 1781, bearing Cornwallis's signature alongside Washington, Rochambeau and Barras.

Cornwallis signed this document as the defeated British commander, formally ending his campaign in America.

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About this source

What it is

This document records the terms under which the besieged British garrison at Yorktown surrendered on 19 October 1781. It was signed by George Washington, the Comte de Rochambeau, the Comte de Barras for the French navy, Lord Cornwallis, and Captain Thomas Symonds of the Royal Navy. Copies are held by the Library of Congress and the U.S. National Archives.

Why it matters

The surrender ended major fighting in the American Revolutionary War and led directly to British political change at home. For Cornwallis, his signature on this paper marks the lowest point of his military career, even though he was not present in person when the surrender ceremony took place.

Look closer

  • Why might a formal document list so many conditions about soldiers, supplies and property instead of simply stating defeat?
  • What does it mean that Washington refused to approve one of the articles?
  • Whose names are missing from the ceremony itself, and why?

This document is part of the curated material that grounds the AI version of Charles Cornwallis and Jean-Baptiste Donatien de Vimeur, comte de Rochambeau on Humy.ai — when students ask about related events, the AI can quote it and cite it.

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