Washington arrives at Yorktown, September 28, 1781

Today in 1781, Colonial General George Washington and French General Rochambeau arrived at Yorktown, Virginia with a combined force of 17,000 French and Colonial soldiers and militia from all thirteen colonies. They faced a force of more than 8,000 British soldiers, part of the finest army the world had ever seen. When the siege of Yorktown was over three weeks later, a new nation was all but guaranteed her freedom.