The Yorktown Campaign and the Surrender of Cornwallis, 1781

What it is

This is a history of the Yorktown campaign and the surrender of Cornwallis in 1781, written by Henry P. Johnston and published in New York by Harper & Brothers in 1881. The book is illustrated and includes maps and facsimiles. The copy available here is a scanned PDF from the Internet Archive, so students are reading a digital copy of the printed book rather than the original volume.

Why it matters

The Yorktown campaign was the decisive American and French victory of the Revolutionary War. Lafayette commanded troops in this campaign, and the book places him among the officers who worked with Washington and the French forces. Johnston's preface links the study to the wider national interest in Revolutionary events during the 1876 centenary celebrations.

Look closer

• The author is writing about an event almost a century earlier. What sources might he have used, and how can you tell?
• The preface says the country was eager to remember the Revolution. Why might a nation want to celebrate its past in 1881?
• Whose actions does this history highlight, and whose does it give less attention?