In October 1781, American independence was achieved on the battlefields of Yorktown, Virginia--a glorious event that the Continental Congress determined was worthy of a monument. Moving at the speed of government, it took one hundred years to act on this resolution. In that time, Yorktown had to come to terms with its role as a site of preservation rather than a center of industry or commerce. The story of the development and preservation of The Monument to Alliance and Victory at Yorktown is a tangle of government, military, artists, historians and forces of nature. Local author Maria Hepner explores the story of this monument and the town that surrounds it.

In October 1781, American independence was achieved on the battlefields of Yorktown, Virginia--a glorious event that the Continental Congress determined was worthy of a monument. Moving at the speed of government, it took one hundred years to act on this resolution. In that time, Yorktown had to come to terms with its role as a site of preservat...

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.

Excerpt from A History of the Monument Erected by the U. S. Government to Commemorate the Close of the Revolutionary War, at Yorktown, October 19th, 1781: Being a Narrative of Its Inception, Construction, Completion, and Official Examination I have the honor to transmit herewith a communication from Hon. George Bancroft, a son of Massachusetts, and formerly a citizen of Boston, suggesting the propriety of some action at this time on the part of the City Government to redeem the pledge made by Congress on the 29th of October, 1781, to build a monument at Yorktown, Virginia, commemorative of the great victory which secured the recognition of our independence. I cannot but think that, in the national enthusiasm attending this centennial period, the people of this country will expect Congress to redeem. The pledge solemnly given in 1781. And it would seem to be fitting that Boston, as having within its limits the monument commemorating the first pitched battle of the revolution, at Bunker Hill, should be foremost and earn est in its endeavors to secure the erection of a like memorial of the last and crowning battle at Yorktown, Virginia. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.