For America’s 250th birthday, the Washington Examiner is taking you to Virginia’s Historic Triangle, where the story of our nation began. From the Jamestown settlement, the first permanent English colony in America; to the Yorktown Battlefield, where the fight for independence was won; to Williamsburg, where America’s founding principles were debated and shaped. Step back in time to explore the places and events that forged our nation.YORKTOWN, Va. – As America celebrates its 250th birthday, Yorktown stands at the very heart of that story. The United States may have declared its independence in 1776, but it wasn’t until five years later that independence was truly achieved.Linda Williams, an interpretive park ranger with the National Park Service, leads tours at Yorktown Battlefield, and she explained how the national park is a crucial part to celebrating America’s birthday.
“This was the last major battle of the American Revolutionary War,” Williams said. “It’s one thing to declare it, there’s another thing to win it. This was where it was won.”In the fall of 1781, General George Washington joined forces with French troops and the French Navy to surround British General Charles Cornwallis, setting the stage for the battle that would end the war.
