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In 1776, Cornwallis arrived in America two years after the Revolution started. Cornwallis came to America with the rank of major general, but by 1780, he was responsible for the entire British campaign in the South. At first Cornwallis was successful against the American forces. That all began to change in January, 1781, when he was defeated by Nathanael Greene's army in South Carolina.

In August 1781 Cornwallis was in Yorktown waiting for more troops to arrive. By the time the new British troops arrived, the French were ready to attack. The American and French troops had cornered the British forces. Cornwallis's forces had to surrender. The British surrender at Yorktown led to the end of the Revolutionary War.

After the war, Cornwallis became the Governor General of India and the Viceroy of Ireland. Cornwallis died in 1805.