On this day in 1781, 8,000+ British Regulars under General Lord Cornwallis were surrendered to French and American troops at Yorktown, Virginia.

2 days prior to the surrender, Lord Cornwallis and George Washington had been discussing the British surrender.

On October 19th, Cornwallis signed Washington’s Articles of Capitulation at at Moore House. At 2:00, the ceremony began in which Cornwallis’ men marched out of Yorktown, Virginia to the fifes and drums playing “The World Turned Upside Down”. The American fifers and drummer interrupted with the tune “Yankee Doodle” which had originally been written as an insult by the British for the Americans. Since then, it has been a patriotic song in the United States, and a nursery rhyme for children.

Lord Cornwallis claimed he was ill prior to the surrender. General Charles O’Hara led the British at the surrender, and had attempted to surrender his sword to Washington. Washington refused to receive his sword, as it wasn’t directly from Lord Cornwallis. Instead, General Benjamin Lincoln was appointed to receive O’Hara’s sword.

All credit goes to:

- United States Air Force Heritage of America Band

(0:05 - 1:04) The World Turned Upside Down
(1:05 - 2:29) Yankee Doodle