The British defeat at Yorktown culminated in the Siege of Yorktown in 1781, where American and French forces effectively trapped British General Charles Cornwallis. Cornwallis's surrender on October 19, 1781, marked the last major battle of the American Revolutionary War and led to negotiations for the Treaty of Paris, which formally recognized American independence in 1783. The American victory at Yorktown demonstrated the effectiveness of combined military strategies involving French support and reinforced the patriot cause, ultimately leading to the end of British aspirations of retaining control over the American colonies.