This audiobook is narrated by a digital voice.

The Siege of Yorktown was the climactic event in a conflict that had been years in the making. To understand its significance, we must first examine the series of events and rising tensions that led the American colonies down the path to revolution. The relationship between Britain and its American colonies had been strained for decades, with disputes rooted in taxation, governance, and representation. Following the costly French and Indian War, Britain sought to recover financially by imposing a series of taxes on the colonies, including the infamous Stamp Act and Townshend Acts. These measures were deeply unpopular and ignited a widespread debate about the rights of the colonists as British subjects.

The ideological divide between the colonists and the British crown deepened with each new act of Parliament. Colonists argued they should not be taxed without representation in the British government—a rallying cry that would echo throughout the revolutionary era. In response, colonial leaders began organizing resistance movements, including boycotts, petitions, and public protests. Groups like the Sons of Liberty emerged, using both political and sometimes violent means to push back against British authority. The Boston Massacre and the Boston Tea Party further inflamed tensions and brought the colonies closer to open rebellion.

As the conflict escalated, the colonies began to shift from resistance to revolution. The First Continental Congress convened in 1774 to coordinate a collective response to British policies, and by the time the Second Continental Congress met in 1775, war had already broken out in Massachusetts. The early battles of Lexington and Concord signaled that this was no longer a political dispute, but an armed struggle for autonomy. Leaders such as George Washington, appointed commander-in-chief of the Continental Army, began to shape a military strategy aimed at securing independence.