American Revolution?

America the brave gained independence from the U.K.

The American Revolution ended much like the Iraq War almost did this spring. After the British defeat at Yorktown, Lord Norths Government was forced out of office by a vote of no confidence, the new Government realized the war was bankrupting Britain and pulled British troops out of combat and brokered a peace treaty with the colonists.

In september of 1781, there being a small window of opportunity where Admiral de Grasse could bring his fleet north from the West Indies, the French fleet defeated a smaller English fleet, and isolated Cornwallis' southern army from the reinforcements they hoped to get from Sir Henry Clinton in New York. Washington and Rochambeau moved their armies, rather quickly down from New York and laid seige to Cornwallis' works near Yorktown.

Over the course of the next month, American forces bombarded the English works, gradually weakening them.

On the 14th of October, forces under Colonel Alexander Hamilton and General Rochambeau assaulted Redoubts number 9 and 10, and successfully carried them. Lord Cornwallis attempted to move part of his army across the river on the 16th, but was prevented by bad weather. On the 19th he asked for terms from his enemy.

When the Regulars actually surrendered, Lord Cornwallis was not in attendance. He had sent his second in command who attempted to surrender to General Rochambeau, who indicated that the sword should be presented to Washington. When the officer did so, Washington, in turn, indicated that the sword be presented to his own second in command, General Benjamin Lincoln, who had been denied the honors of war when he surrendered to Cornwallis at Charleston the year before.

This effectively ended the battles of the war, though two more years would pass before the British occupation of New York City would be ended by the Treaty of Paris.

The American Revolution ended with the signing of the Treaty of Paris in 1783.

Revolutions and wars do not end with a battle.

The US is still officially at war with North Korea. There has never been a formal treaty to end the war.

Simply put. We won. General Cornwallis and his troops went home to England in disgrace. The Loyalists fled to Canada. The United States became a viable nation and life went on.

Washington cornered Cornwallis along the coast of Virginia, and he gave up, realizing he was trapped.