Why Did The Cornwallis Lose The Revolutionary War

After 1778 the British shifted their attention to the southern colonies, which brought them initial prosperity when they recaptured Georgia and South Carolina for the Crown in 1779 and 1780. In 1781 British forces endeavored to subjugate Virginia, but a French naval victory just outside Chesapeake Bay led to a Franco-American siege at Yorktown and the capture of over 7,000 British soldiers. The defeat broke Britain's will to perpetuate the war. Constrained fighting perpetuated throughout 1782, while tranquility negotiations commenced. In 1783, the Treaty of Paris pacified the war and apperceived the sovereignty of the United States over the territory bounded roughly by what is now Canada to the north, Florida to the south, and the Mississippi River to the west A wider international tranquility was acceded, in which several territories were exchanged. The expensive war drove France into massive debt, which would contribute to the outbreak of a Revolution there as well.

In August 1781, General George Washington, who was camped in New York, learned that Lieutenant General Lord Charles Cornwallis' army of nearly 9,000 soldiers was encamped near Yorktown, VA (Lengel,

Washington took away that fear when he launched the attack on Hessian troops. He followed up this victory by a win at Princeton. Next, he was forced to fight a battle that he knew he would lose. The British navy took over Philadelphia at the battle of Brandywine Creek. Washington’s militia was strengthened in October, when General Gates won at Saratoga, New York. In the spring of 1778, good news arrived when the French decided to send money, troops, and a fleet to help the colonies. When the British heard the news they decided to consolidate their position to New York and New Jersey. In the time period between 1778 and 1781 Washington kept the British army concealed to New York City. At the time he faced a variety of disappointments by losing the battles of Brooklyn Heights, Kip’s Bay, Harlem Heights, and White Plains.

That morning the light frost was just beginning to melt, but the air was still cold. The battle began at about noon that day and lasted for approximately two hours before it came to an end. Nathanael Greene’s tactic to win the battle was to line his men up in three parallel rows. The battle started with the cannons being fired rapidly at their enemy. Greene’s men began to panic and then began to scatter in every direction. The troops heavily fought on both sides, but in the end, Nathanael Greene and his troops decided to retreat. The British may have won the battle, but they ended up suffering tremendous losses. After this battle, Cornwallis decided to forget campaigning and instead decided to take his army to Virginia, where in October of that very same year, he surrendered to General George Washington. After the battle, Greene returned south and again took control over most of the Carolina's and Georgia. The Battle of Guilford Courthouse was the second to last major battle of the American Revolution.

Before the 19th century, the United States was a small, developing country. Later, it transformed into a world power. The size of the United States was tripled because of acquisitions such as The Louisiana Purchase, the Mexican Cession with adding Alaska, Florida, Oregon, and Texas. One of the events that caused this expansion was the War of 1812. This war is sometimes called “America’s second war for independence”.

Leading up the battle of Yorktown, in February, 1781, Major General Marquis de Lafayette was ordered to take his Continental troops to Virginia. About a month later General Cornwallis and his army had entered Virginia believing that if the American forces had resistance, he would have victory against the Americans and the French. Later that year in August on 1-2, 1781 Cornwallis and his army set up at Gloucester point, hoping to use it as a base for supply and weapons. Couple of weeks later, Washington heard about the base and sent a large army to destroy Cornwallis base. A month later on September 14, 1781, French General Rochambeau and General Washington arrived, and sent 400 French soldiers and 400 American soldiers to storm the British redoubt. On October 19, 1781, being taken under heavy from the Americans and the French, Major General Cornwallis realized that he was short of troops and decided to escape Yorktown before surrendering. Making the move to escape, a sudden storm from the Americans and French ruined his evacuation plan and Cornwallis was forced to surrender, due to the lack troops and supplies.

General Cornwallis from Grosvenor Square, London was forty-five years old when the Revolutionary War ended. He was promoted to lieutenant general and began service in the colonies under Major General Henry Clinton. When the British army was retreating to Yorktown, George Washington was marching his troops down from the north. The French Navy, having defeated the British Navy, started to move to the coast near Yorktown, as well. The British army was now surrounded at Yorktown. The British were also outnumbered by the French and American troops. Eventually, General Cornwallis sent out the white flag and surrendered. The Patriot victory at Yorktown effectively ended fighting in the American colonies. Peace negotiations began in 1782, and on

The Battle of Yorktown took place in October of 1781, but before that day many important events led up to the battle. In 1778, British military power was focused on the Southern region of America. Lieutenant Charles Cornwallis was leading a successful military campaign in the south, defeating the Continental Army in battles such as the Battle of Guilford courthouse in March of 1781. After that General Cornwallis moved his men to Virginia. In May of 1781 French Admiral the count de Barras told General George Washington that Admiral the count de Grasse was to arrive in America with a large French fleet. Another British commander, Benedict Arnold, was

Prior to General Greene's command, the war in the South had not been going very well, but Greene put in some new tactics that enabled American victories and caused the British Army to retreat to the East Coast. At the same time that the British Army under General Charles Cornwallis was retreating to Yorktown, General George Washington was marching his army down from the north. The French Navy, having defeated the British Navy, started to move to the coast near Yorktown as well.

The Battle of Yorktown began on Tuesday, October 9, 1781 in Yorktown, Virginia. The British find themselves at Yorktown because after General Nathanael Greene came to support the Americans and they started to win battles away from the coast such as Cowpens, King’s Mountain, and Guilford Courthouse. The British knew that the only way they could win is if they went to the coast. Cornwallis marches his troops to Yorktown to have the navy give him reinforcements and supplies. General George Washington marched his army South from New York to Yorktown while Admiral de Grasse sailed North to Chesapeake Bay from the French Caribbean. Marquis Lafayette was at Yorktown because they were following the tracks of Cornwallis’s troops This was at the

1738 - 1805, the British troops under Lieutenant General Charles Cornwallis scored a tactical victory at Guilford Courthouse over American forces under Major General Nathanael Greene (1742-86). The British suffered significant troop losses during this battle, and Cornwallis suspended his campaign for the Carolinas and instead took his army into Virginia.

Victory after victory we come to the end. Lord cornwallis has retreated after almost 3 weeks of fighting. With the generous help of the french we have triumphed and to finally go home knowing that we are all free men.

This conflict led too war between the two; this war was also known as the Seven Year’s War ( 1754-1763 ) .The war ended with the Treaty of Paris in 1763. After the war the British were victorious, but they suffered great monetary losses from the cost of winning the territorial war. The British decided to pass the cost of the war onto the colonist in which to raise revenue. King George the III began to imposed taxes that were unfair to the colonist.

The Americans dominated the British through unconventional war tactics, leading to General Burgoyne’s surrender (History.com Staff, 2009c). This event convinced the French to join in the fight against Great Britain. In October 1781, with the help of the French, American forces defeated the British at the Battle of Yorktown. The victory would prove to be paramount. It would take almost two years before Britain accepted defeat but by this point, the war was essentially over. On 3 September 1783, the “Treaty of Paris” would formally recognize the independence of the thirteen North American colonies. The treaty put an official end to the war (History.com Staff,

Charles Cornwallis led several successful battles during the Revolutionary War, insuring British victories at New York, Brandywine and Camden. He surrendered at Yorktown- the final battle of the Revolutionary War.