Danny Davis: “Mr. Speaker, Yorktown was established by Virginia's colonial government in 1691 to regulate trade and to collect taxes…”

“Mr. Speaker, Yorktown was established by Virginia's colonial government in 1691 to regulate trade and to collect taxes on both imports and exports for Great Britain. Over time, the waterfront with wharves, docks, storehouses, and businesses developed. On the bluff above the waterfront, stately homes lined Main Street. Taverns and shops were scattered throughout the town. By the early 1700s, Yorktown had emerged as a major Virginia port and economic center. Today, Yorktown is best known as the site where the British army under General Charles Lord Cornwallis was forced to surrender on October 19, 1781, to General George Washington's combined American and French army. Upon hearing of their defeat, British Prime Minister Frederick Lord North is reputed to have said, 'Oh, God, it's all over.' And it was. The victory secured independence for the United States and significantly changed the course of world history. H. Res. 748 recognizes the 225th anniversary of the American and French victory at Yorktown, Virginia, during the Revolutionary War; and I strongly support its passage.”