John Trumbull's "Surrender of Cornwallis"

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This is John Trumbull's "Surrender of Lord Cornwallis."  The original is a 12 ft. X 18 ft. oil painting that hangs in the rotunda in the Capitol.  The painting depicts Cornwallis surrender to General Washington at Yorktown on October 19th, 1781 which effectively ended the Revolutionary War although the Treaty of Paris would not be signed for another two years.  In the painting are several important Revolutionary War figures including George Washington, Baron von Steuben, Marquis de Lafayette and Count Rochambeau among others.  It's a great resource to refer back to when teaching the Revolution because so many major players are depicted.  This piece of art can also be used as part of a Do Now activity asking the students to make observation about the art or write a short paragraph about what Washington or Cornwallis is thinking about in the picture.