The Battle of Yorktown: The World Turned Upside Down “I run as fast backwards as forwards to convince our enemy that we are a crab. We can run in any direction, as long as it is away.” General Nathanael Greene’s description of his strategy for defeating the Crown Army under Cornwallis- trying to tire out the enemy by running them ragged. The Battle of Yorktown was caused by the British not wanting the American colonists to have their rightful freedom, this five day bloody battle was anything but clean until the British surrendered letting Americans have their freedom. First and foremost, this battle was caused by a series of battles wrapped up into one eight year war, The American Revolution. In the first paragraph of Siege of Yorktown, …show more content…
The History.com staff writes “General George Washington instructed the Marquis de Lafayette, who was in Virginia with an American army of around 5,000 men, to block Cornwallis’ escape from Yorktown by land.”(History). Cornwallis was attempting to leave Virginia so he would have to make his troops fight. however when he tried to leave, he became blocked, trapped, and nothing else to do but fight his way out. The red coats had claimed two states, New Jersey and South Carolina, as British territory. The patriots became mad and cornered them in Yorktown for the last war of the American Revolution. "We will fight like lions. Until the last man is killed" A French soldier as he replied to General Rochambeau's address.”(Yorktown). On day five the British band appeared on a hill. They played the English Ballad The World Turned Upside Down. The American colonists had won, this battle ending the American Revolution. The British had lost three hundred-nine people with three hundred-thirty six wounded. The Americans, however had only lost seventy two with one hundred-eighty wounded. The History.com article Victory at Yorktown says “On October 19, General Cornwallis surrendered 7,087 officers and men, 900 seamen, 144 cannons, 15 galleys, a frigate, and 30 transport ships. Pleading illness, he did not attend the surrender ceremony, but his second-in-command, General Charles O’Hara, carried Cornwallis’ sword to the American and French