A letter signed by George Washington accepting the British surrender, which helped pave the way for America’s independence, will go on display for the first time in London. The letter, written in October 1781, will be featured as part of the “Revolution 250: America’s Independence Story, 1763–1783” exhibition at The National Archives.
Historical Significance
The note was dictated and signed by Washington and given to Charles Cornwallis, Britain’s Lieutenant General commanding the southern campaign, in Yorktown, Virginia, following the British request to end hostilities to agree the terms of their surrender. Washington replied stating his “ardent desire to spare the further effusion of blood.”
After the war, Cornwallis took Washington’s letter home with him to Essex, where it remained in the family archive before being presented to the Public Record Office, a predecessor of The National Archives, in 1880. The letter is part of the acceptance of British surrender in what became a decisive battle at the end of the American Revolutionary War.
Original reporting: Dallas TX News (HLL/CB) — read the source article.
