Journal Article

Economic History: The Bank of North America

Abstract: John Trumbull's "Surrender of Lord Cornwallis" is one of eight paintings depicting significant moments in American history hanging in the Capitol rotunda in Washington, D.C. It portrays the Oct. 19, 1781, surrender of British troops at Yorktown, Va., after the final battle of the Revolutionary War. While the foreground holds the action, the background is dominated by billowing black smoke from the charred, war-ravaged landscape. It's hard to know if Trumbull intended any deeper meaning, but there's no denying that the war's destruction clouded the future of the newly independent United States.

Bibliographic Information

Provider: Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond

Part of Series: Econ Focus

Publication Date: 2026-07-07

Volume: 26

Issue: Q3