The Surrender of Earl Cornwallis

What it is

This is an engraved print titled The Surrender of Earl Cornwallis. It was engraved for Barnard's New Complete and Authentic History of England and is dated around 1783. The central scene shows a British officer in a tricorn hat handing a sword to an American officer in a cocked hat. Soldiers, flags and tents appear behind them. The library record says the British officer is General Charles O'Hara, who stood in for Cornwallis, handing the sword to Rochambeau while Washington stands with him. The image is an engraving, so it was made by an artist rather than photographed.

Why it matters

The surrender at Yorktown was one of the most important events of the American Revolution, and this print shows how it was pictured for British readers of a history book. Because Cornwallis himself did not take part in the ceremony, the artist used O'Hara to represent him. The print therefore shows a chosen version of the event, not a record of exactly who was present.

Look closer

• Who is shown handing over the sword, and who is receiving it?
• Why might the artist have chosen to show a substitute officer rather than Cornwallis?
• What does the print leave out, such as the soldiers' feelings or the wider cost of the war?