Yorktown, Colonial settlement in York County, Virginia
Yorktown sits along the York River in Virginia and features colonial-era homes and military earthworks. The streets wind through a small waterfront district with views across the river and surrounding shoreline.
General Cornwallis surrendered here in 1781 to forces led by Washington and French allies, effectively ending the Revolutionary War. The settlement itself had been established in 1691 as a tobacco port and grew into a busy trading center during the 18th century.
The Historic Triangle links Yorktown with Jamestown and Williamsburg, forming a connected network of preserved colonial settlements in Virginia.
Travelers reach the town via the George Washington Memorial Highway and can cross the river using the George P Coleman Memorial Bridge. Most points of interest lie within walking distance around the waterfront and along the main street.
Tobacco ships once docked at numerous wharves spread along the waterfront, carrying goods bound for Europe. During the 18th century, the port ranked among the busiest tobacco-handling points in colonial Virginia.
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