This paper examines the Battle of Yorktown (1781) as both a historical event and a commemorative site, analyzing how the Colonial National Historical Park and the Yorktown Battlefield shape collective memory and American national identity. The paper considers the geographic pairing of Yorktown and Jamestown as bookends of the colonial era, explores what the National Park Service includes and notably omits — particularly the French alliance, Native American displacement, and African American slavery — and argues that selective commemoration perpetuates an idealized American mythos centered on military valor and independence while glossing over the broader complexities of the colonial period.
The Battle of Yorktown was the last major battle of the American Revolutionary War. As such, it ideologically signifies freedom, liberty, independence, and, above all, victory against the Old World. As the decisive engagement of the Revolution, Yorktown symbolizes the creation of a new nation. In 1931, a two-cent postage stamp was issued to commemorate the 150th anniversary of the battle. The stamp was designed to "honor the French contribution" to the Revolutionary War (Farber). Moreover, paintings — including those depicted on the British Battles website — show scenes from the battle, among them the French white coats ("The Battle of Yorktown 1781" nd). British surrender scenes are also commonly presented in paintings to emphasize the American victory.
A total of 8,800 Americans, 7,800 French, and 6,000 British troops fought in the battle, and the British officially surrendered on October 19, 1781 (Hickman nd; "The Battle of Yorktown 1781" nd). The battle lasted less than one month, but its effects have reverberated throughout American — and indeed world — history.
The "battle-scarred landscape of Yorktown" is historically hallowed ground ("Colonial National Historical Park" 2010). Located on National Park Service land, the actual battlefield can be visited and toured with special guides. Colonial National Historical Park also comprises "the swampy marshes of Jamestown," which increases the symbolic power of the commemorative site ("Colonial National Historical Park" 2010). Jamestown represents the "Beginning of America," according to the National Park Service, because it is where "the successful English colonization of North America began," and also "where the first arrival of Africans to English North America was recorded in 1619" ("Historic Jamestowne" nd).
Yorktown and Jamestown are therefore the bookends of the American colonial era: the colonial period began with Jamestown and ended with Yorktown. Given the geographic proximity of these significant sites, it makes sense that the National Park Service would combine them into one historic park. Connecting the two is the Colonial Parkway, completed in 1957 for the specific purpose of "unifying culturally distinct sites," including nearby Williamsburg ("Colonial Parkway" nd).
As the National Park Service states, "The victory secured independence for the United States and significantly changed the course of world history" ("Yorktown Battlefield" nd). Remembrance is achieved in part through this conceptual and geographic connection between Yorktown and Jamestown. Placing both sites within one historic park allows visitors to comprehend the historical continuity between these events and to contemplate what transpired between them. The aptly named Colonial National Historical Park commemorates the meaning of colonialism in America and, by extension, the meaning of colonialism worldwide. Visitors have the opportunity to consider the repercussions — both good and bad — of British colonial enterprises. Moreover, visiting the park stimulates inquiry into the trajectory the nation would take after independence. Blood was shed on the very ground of the park, and in 1781 bodies must have been strewn across its then-scarred landscape.
The Yorktown Battlefield offers a very direct and literal opportunity for remembrance. Included in the park is a portion of the British Defenses, the seaport town of York (founded in 1691), and an artillery demonstration. A Young Soldiers Program teaches children about "life as a soldier during the American Revolution" ("Yorktown Battlefield" nd). The stark literalism of the battlefield and its lack of significant statues or elaborate war memorials serves as a humble tribute to the soldiers who lost their lives on both sides of the conflict.
"Missing French, Native American, and African American stories"
"British gains and guerrilla warfare preceding Yorktown"
"Selective memory and the American mythology of independence"
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