Camp Security housed prisoners from the Battle of Yorktown. But what was this battle? And how did it change American history?

The Revolutionary War began in 1775. The American colonies fought for independence from Great Britain. Independence means freedom. The colonists wanted to form their own government. In 1776, they made it official with the Declaration of Independence. The United States of America was born.

But Britain didn’t let them go without a fight. War raged for over five years.

Then came Yorktown.

By 1781, the United States had run out of money. The young government could no longer pay its soldiers. Britain won battle after battle. Americans were exhausted.

Their greatest foe: British General Charles Cornwallis.

General Cornwallis set up headquarters in Yorktown, Virginia. Yorktown sits on the Chesapeake Bay. From there, Britain’s famous navy could defend the city. General Cornwallis felt protected.

But the United States and France had a plan. They teamed up for one final effort. “Now or never our deliverance must come,” wrote General George Washington.

France’s ships blocked the Chesapeake Bay. Suddenly, Britain’s strongest defense was gone. The British army retreated toward land. Soldiers waited for them.

The U.S. and French armies surrounded Yorktown, firing cannons. The siege lasted three weeks. It ended in a secret raid by night. The allied armies took two British forts.

A few days later, General Cornwallis surrendered.

Americans had grown weary of war. But so had the British. Several months after the Yorktown defeat, Britain’s parliament voted to end the war.

The United States could have given up. Instead, the young nation won independence. The researchers at Camp Security could have given up too. But they persevered. Their findings will help us learn more about America’s fight for freedom.