Massachusetts Tests for Educator Licensure (MTEL) Practice Test 2025 - Free Educator Licensure Practice Questions and Study Guide

The key leader at the Battle of Yorktown was George Washington, who played a crucial role in securing American independence during this pivotal conflict in the American Revolutionary War. Washington commanded the Continental Army and skillfully coordinated the siege of British forces led by General Cornwallis. His leadership was instrumental in uniting the French and American troops, allowing them to trap Cornwallis and his forces. This decisive victory at Yorktown in October 1781 effectively ended major military operations in the colonies and led to negotiations for peace, ultimately resulting in the Treaty of Paris in 1783.

Other figures mentioned, such as Thomas Jefferson, Benedict Arnold, and King George III, were significant in their own right but were not key leaders in the Battle of Yorktown. Jefferson, while an important statesman and author of the Declaration of Independence, was not a military leader at this battle. Benedict Arnold was a former American general who defected to the British and was not involved in the Yorktown campaign. King George III was the monarch of Britain during the war but did not participate in military engagements. Thus, George Washington's leadership at the Battle of Yorktown stands out as pivotal for the success of the American forces.