[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 152 (2006), Part 15]
[House]
[Pages 20482-20483]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




RECOGNIZING THE 225TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE AMERICAN AND FRENCH VICTORY AT 
                 YORKTOWN DURING THE REVOLUTIONARY WAR

  Mr. WESTMORELAND. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree 
to the resolution (H. Res. 748) recognizing the 225th anniversary of 
the American and French victory at Yorktown, Virginia, during the 
Revolutionary War.
  The Clerk read as follows:

                              H. Res. 748

       Whereas at Yorktown, Virginia, on October 19, 1781, General 
     George Washington and the American and French armies received 
     the surrender of Lieutenant General Charles Cornwallis and 
     nearly 7,100 British soldiers and sailors, ending nine days 
     of siege operations against the British army;
       Whereas the victory at Yorktown concluded the last major 
     battle of the American Revolution, effectively ending the war 
     and securing for the colonies their independence by providing 
     a military conclusion to the political declaration issued 
     five years earlier;
       Whereas Virginia, as the largest and most populous of the 
     original 13 colonies and the home of General Washington, 
     Thomas Jefferson, Patrick Henry, Thomas Nelson, Jr., and 
     other leaders of the American Revolution, is blessed with a 
     rich history of noteworthy contributions to the struggle to 
     secure liberty and democracy;
       Whereas in 1983 the Virginia General Assembly designated 
     the 19th day of October of each year to be recognized and 
     celebrated as Yorktown Day throughout the Commonwealth of 
     Virginia; and
       Whereas the 2006 observance of Yorktown Day celebrates the 
     225th anniversary of the American and French victory at 
     Yorktown: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the House of Representatives recognizes the 
     225th anniversary of the American and French victory at 
     Yorktown, Virginia, during the Revolutionary War and reminds 
     the American people of the debt the United States owes to its 
     armed forces and the important role Yorktown and the 
     Commonwealth of Virginia played in securing their liberty.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
Georgia (Mr. Westmoreland) and the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Davis) 
each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Georgia.


                             General Leave

  Mr. WESTMORELAND. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all 
Members may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend 
their remarks and include extraneous material on the resolution under 
consideration.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Georgia?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. WESTMORELAND. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  On October 19, 1781, Mr. Speaker, Lieutenant General Charles 
Cornwallis and nearly 7,100 British soldiers surrendered to General 
George Washington in Yorktown, Virginia. This surrender almost 225 
years ago ended the American and French 9-day siege against the British 
troops, and it signaled the end of the last major battle of the 
American Revolution.
  This day in history also solidified the political declaration of 
independence made by the colonies 5 years later, and it opened the door 
to America becoming the democracy our forefathers envisioned.
  We are most fortunate to live in this Nation, and I urge all Members 
to join me in supporting this resolution recognizing the 225th 
anniversary of the American and French Victory at Yorktown.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  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.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. WESTMORELAND. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as she may consume 
to my distinguished colleague from the Commonwealth of Virginia, Mrs. 
Davis.
  Mrs. JO ANN DAVIS of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support 
of my resolution, H. Res. 748, recognizing the 225th anniversary of the 
American and French victory at Yorktown, Virginia, during the 
Revolutionary War.
  I am very proud to represent America's First Congressional District. 
While next year my district will be host to the 400th anniversary 
celebration of the founding of Jamestown, this month marks another 
significant anniversary in our Nation's history: the victory at 
Yorktown.
  It is a privilege every year on October 19 to celebrate Yorktown Day. 
The Revolution secured independence for the United States and 
significantly changed the course of world history. The American 
Revolution took place from Maine to Florida and as far west as Arkansas 
and Louisiana, but it was Yorktown battlefield that saw the final 
battle of the American Revolution, with the surrender of General 
Cornwallis's British army to General George Washington's American-
French allied army in October, 1781.
  By the end of September, 1781, Washington's army of 17,600 
Continental soldiers and French allies had surrounded Cornwallis' 8,300 
British, German, and Loyalist troops and laid siege to Yorktown, 
leading to the surrender of Cornwallis on October 19, 1781. And my 
colleague from Illinois said it best when he quoted Prime Minister 
Frederick

[[Page 20483]]

Lord North when he said, ``Oh, God, it's all over.'' The allied victory 
at Yorktown effectively ended the war.
  In 1931, Dr. Ray Lyman Wilbur, Secretary of the Interior, commented, 
``To declare independence is one thing; to achieve it is another. Here 
it was actually achieved . . . The victory at Yorktown gave us that 
independence which the American patriots had boldly proclaimed to the 
world.''
  Mr. Speaker, it is that independence that we so cherish and enjoy 
here in the United States of America today. It is our freedoms that our 
wonderful men and women in the military continue to fight for today, 
and it started back in 1781 with the victory at Yorktown.
  Mr. Speaker, with that, I urge all of my colleagues to support this 
resolution honoring a significant historical event in our Nation's 
history.
  Mr. WESTMORELAND. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Westmoreland) that the House suspend the 
rules and agree to the resolution, H. Res. 748.
  The question was taken; and (two-thirds having voted in favor 
thereof) the rules were suspended and the resolution was agreed to.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

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