The Battle of Yorktown

Use this homework to teach your students about the Battle of Yorktown.

READING PASSAGES

The reading sheets begin with a short description of the origins of the Battle of Yorktown as the British retreated to Virginia to reinforce their numbers. Students then learn about Washington's plan to trap the British with the assistance of the French navy.

"In May of 1781 the leader of the British forces in the south, General Cornwallis, decided to retreat to the port of Yorktown where he could receive supplies and reinforcements from the   British fleet.  General Washington found out about this plan from spies and saw that he now had a chance to trap the British.  On August 19th, Washington met up with a force of 6,000 French soldiers just north of New York and then marched his allied army south as quickly as he could.  At the same time, a large French fleet under Admiral de Grasse was sailing up from the Caribbean to the tip of the Chesapeake Bay.  Some ships of the fleet then picked up Washington’s army and transported it to the area around Yorktown. Washington’s American forces took up positions

to the south of the town while the French took up positions to the west and northwest.  French and American forces also cut off the small town of Gloucester across the York River where the British also had soldiers.  The French ships then blockaded Yorktown from the sea by cutting off access to the Chesapeake Bay."

Students then learn about the course of the battle, starting with the imposition of a blockade and then the slow advance of the American and French forces towards Yorktown. The reading sheets then explain the ultimate reasons for the surrender of the British

MATERIALS

Students can work on a map to show the course of the battle. To suit your own particular needs, there are a variety of different sheets which you can use. The file also comes with an image sheet, crossword, and completed map file.