Each of your posts must be a minimum of one paragraph in length and follow the stated guidelines. Creative and original thinking are always appreciated, as is going outside of the required reading to find information pertaining to your posts. The intent of the discussion board prompt/post exercise is to stimulate critical thinking and intellectual discourse.

This week you are also required to use, and correctly cite, at least one outside source in your original response to a prompt (not wikipedia!!!). By outside, I mean not your textbook. The use of outside research is going to be a requirement every week through the remainder of the semester.

One word of caution: In writing your responses ONLY USE YOUR OWN WORDS. If you think its ok to take material directly from your sources as long as you cite the source, you are wrong. It is very easy for me to check originality and I will do so if I think it necessary. I have given a few of you the benefit of the doubt, but when your post sounds like it was written like a scholar, it usually was, and I will check. If I find that you have copied someone else's words and used them as your own, that is plagiarism and you will get a 0 for that post.

What actions did Spain take to support claims to lands west of the Mississippi River, and the Pacific coastal region from Baja California to Alaska?

Response:

A combined American force of Colonial and French troops attacked the British Army with artillery at Yorktown, Virginia. According to History.com, "Washington had completely encircled Cornwallis and Yorktown with the forces of Continental and French troops. After three weeks of non-stop bombardment, Cornwallis surrendered to Washington in the field at Yorktown on October 17, 1781, effectively ending the War for Independence." King George III allowed Lord North to resign as prime minister and began the negotiations that led to the Treaty of Paris.

The British army was wiped out and the British surrender ended the American Revolutionary war. The battle ended extensive fighting in North America and the British finally signed the Treaty of Paris that contributed to the end to the battle.

One of the factors that triggered the British surrender in 1781 is that they were "plagued by sickness and shortage of food and monition," (Jones, p181) The British situation was also made worse by a smallpox epidemic within the town.The capture of several thousands of the British troops and Lieutenant General Charles Cornwallis led the British government to negotiate the end to the conflict.

According to OHCPi, during the several thousands of British troops were captured, "some other supplies including cannons and some 244 artillery pieces were also taken. The British lost 156 killed and 326 wounded." Those factors determined the end to the war. The Battle of Yorktown contributed to the victory for the American colonists.