Big Day in History

[Minimalist]

http://www.history.com/this-day-in-histo...t-yorktown

On this day in 1781, British General Charles Cornwallis formally surrenders 8,000 British soldiers and seamen to a French and American force at Yorktown, Virginia, bringing the American Revolution to a close.

Leave it to the History Channel to fuck up the history though. The war did not actually end until the Treaty of Paris in 1783.

[BrianSoddingBoru4]

Deciding when a war ends is always a bit tricky. Hostilities ceased after Yorktown in 1781, so the actual 'war' bit of the war stopped. The Treaty of Paris was signed in 1783, so that could also be called the end of the war. However, treaties are not considered fully effective until ratified, and the signatories to the TOP didn't accomplish that until 1784.

History, thou are a picky bitch.

Boru

[Minimalist]

The Limeys evacuated NY and sailed for home in 1783. I'll settle for that.

[BrianSoddingBoru4]

The Limeys evacuated NY and sailed for home in 1783. I'll settle for that.

Fair enough. Any time the Limeys pack up and go is a banner day.

Boru

[Anomalocaris]

Deciding when a war ends is always a bit tricky. Hostilities ceased after Yorktown in 1781, so the actual 'war' bit of the war stopped.

Not really. The world didn't revolve around the United States back then. Once France entered the war the war was no longer about the Independence of the British colonies, it was about whether Britain could be crushed by France and Spain, and what mattered was the control of the Caribbean sugar islands. Things were looking good for France in 1781 to take the Caribbean from Britain. If things went on this way the world would be much different much sooner than the mere fact that United States was assured survival.

The decisive battle that determined the outcome of this war didn't happen till May 1782, when the British got luck and defeated probably the best French fleet to ever face Britain in battle.