Information compiled from Record Group 109, compiled Confederate military service records, in the National Archives, Washington, D.C., and cemetery records.

In 1750, the deepwater port of Yorktown housed approximately 250-300 businesses, with as many as 2,000 people thriving in the small town. By 1781, the Revolutionary War's final siege had been staged, and the British were caught without resources to win the final battle against the American and Allied forces. Freedom was won for America, but Yorktown would continue to see war. In 1862, the Peninsula Campaign of the Civil War led to a monthlong battle near the site of the previous conflict. In 1917, World War I brought the embarkation of the Atlantic Fleet, and within a few decades, World War II would change Yorktown and the nation forever. These historic postcards portray the first family houses, the churches, the courthouses, the military, the battlefields, and the commemorative memorials of the area, showing the town's progression through time, from the 18th century through the present day.

Yorktown's history is often overshadowed by its pivotal role in the Revolutionary War. The site of the British surrender has held several victory commemorations over the past two hundred years. Yorktown also was a thriving colonial port and the site of one of the biggest Union blunders in the Civil War. During Reconstruction, former slaves created a vibrant community called Slabtown on the edge of the hamlet. In the 1930s, the National Park Service began preserving the battlefield; what was for decades a sleepy village is now dominated by tourism, and nearby modern military installations have helped to give it new life. Join author Wilford Kale as he reveals the many facets of Yorktown.