### May 2 On May 2nd, 1781, I found myself in a rather precarious situation. My troops were surrounded and outnumbered by the enemy on the field of battle outside Yorktown, Virginia. Our situation seemed hopeless and we were in desperate need of a miracle. Suddenly, something miraculous happened! It was none other than the French navy coming to our rescue. They had arrived with a flotilla of thirty-three ships carrying 8,000 European infantry and hundreds of cannons. My men were overjoyed and let out a deafening cheer that was heard for miles around. Just as quickly as it had started, the Battle of Yorktown was over. The British forces were defeated and the war was finally won by the colonies. We may not have been able to anticipate it in the moment, but May 2nd, 1781, would go down in history as one of the most important days in American history. This was the day that inspired the United States of America.