A letter signed by George Washington accepting British surrender which marked the beginning of the end of the American Revolutionary War is on display in London for the first time.
Written in October 1781 after the British defeat at Yorktown, Virginia, it is part of the ‘Revolution 250: America’s Independence Story, 1763–1783’ exhibition at The National Archives in Kew.
The document initiated negotiations for the 1783 Treaty of Paris, where Britain formally recognised US independence. Given to British Lieutenant General Charles Cornwallis, the letter remained at his Audley End home in Essex until presented to the Public Record Office in 1880.
Dr Sean Cunningham, curator of Revolution 250, said: “For such a short, succinct, and to the point message, this note had tremendous consequences for generations to come.
“This is the moment the British realised they would have to give up the 13 colonies that would become the United States of America; the moment that Britain finally accepts the reality of the declaration of independence drafted five years earlier.
“Seeing Washington’s acceptance of British surrender up close is a powerful encounter with a turning point in history.
“But alongside it, we’re bringing forward voices and perspectives that challenge familiar narratives and show how deeply contested – and consequential – this conflict really was.”
The exhibition will trace the birth of the United States through documents from both sides of the Atlantic.
Highlights include the Stamp Act and the Tea Act, which fuelled unrest in the American colonies, as well as accounts of the Boston Tea Party protest and a copy of the Declaration of Independence.
In April, State Department said that it is preparing a limited release of commemorative U.S. passports celebrating America’s 250th birthday that feature a picture of President Donald Trump, who would be the first living president to be featured in the travel document.
The concept for the special passport, including a rendering of Trump’s stern-looking visage, had been under consideration for months before finally being approved late Monday.
The passports will be available at first only to applicants at the Washington, D.C., passport office and only on request. Applicants who do not want the commemorative passport will be able to chose a standard one, officials said.
“These passports will feature customised artwork and enhanced imagery while maintaining the same security features that make the U.S. passport the most secure documents in the world,” State Department spokesperson Tommy Pigott said.
