The British commander in the South, Cornwallis, was caught between land and sea at Yorktown, Virginia. His surrender on October 17, 1781, marked the effective end of the Revolution. The American victory was hailed in Europe by the French and other enemies of the British Empire. This imaginary view portrays the small Virginia tobacco port of Yorktown as a fortified European city. It was fabricated by a French engraver from verbal accounts, and features the French fleet under Admiral de Grasse arriving from the Chesapeake Bay while Cornwallis surrenders his army of seven thousand. On that day, a military band played the old tune, "The World turn'd Upside Down."

Medium : Original material is a hand colored engraving

Created/Published : Paris, 1871?

Creator : Not attributed

Housed in the Geography and Map Division of the Library of Congress

Availability: Usually ships in 1 week

Product #: ar301100