In August 1781, British commander Lord Cornwallis moved his troops to Yorktown, Virginia, hoping he could more easily receive supplies and reinforcements via the York River, near the Chesapeake Bay. Professor Osman details the events that followed, leading to the allied victory at Yorktown. The allied Franco-American forces, most under the command of the comte de Rochambeau and George Washington, descended on Cornwallis. French naval commander de Grasse joined the operation with his fleet from the Caribbean and trapped Cornwallis on land while the allied army laid siege, forcing Cornwallis to surrender.
Part 1 of 5: France in America: Now What? (5:10)
Part 2 of 5: Getting to Yorktown (1:55)
Part 3 of 5: De Grasse Saves the Seas (2:06)
Part 4 of 5: Laying Siege in the French Way (9:08)
Part 5 of 5: Consequences of the Battle of Yorktown: Merci, France! (13:59)