The Siege of Yorktown was the final major land battle of the American Revolutionary War. A combined force of American Continental Army troops led by George Washington and French Army troops led by the Comte de Rochambeau trapped the British army under General Lord Cornwallis. The French Navy played a critical role by blockading the Chesapeake Bay, preventing British reinforcements or escape by sea. Following the surrender of over 7,000 British soldiers, the British government was forced to negotiate an end to the conflict, eventually leading to the Treaty of Paris in 1783, which recognized the independence of the United States.