Battle of Yorktown - Yorktown, Virginia

On October 17, 1781, one of the most dramatic moments in the history of the world was enacted at the town of Yorktown, Virginia.

A little drummer boy, braving the shot and shell being thrown by American and French cannon, climbed to the top of an earthen breastwork and began to beat out a call to parley. One by one the big guns fell silent and a British officer soon joined the drummer atop the fortifications, a white flag in his hand.

Two days later, the British army of Gen. Lord Charles Cornwallis marched out of Yorktown and surrendered its arms to the allied army of Gen. George Washington. A British band played a then popular tune called "The World Turned Upside Down."  The Battle of Yorktown, the climactic battle of the American Revolution, was over. The United States of America would survive to become a beacon of freedom to people from all over the world.

The site of Washington's monumental victory is now preserved at the Yorktown Battlefield section of Colonial National Historical Park. Visitors can walk the battle lines to see the preserved forts and batteries of both armies. The site of the British surrender is preserved, as are many other key points of the battle that literally turned the world upside down.

To learn more about Yorktown Battlefield and this fascinating moment in Southern history, please visit www.exploresouthernhistory.com/yorktown.