We learn in American history class that the British surrender at Yorktown in 1781 sealed victory for the patriots in the American Revolutionary War. But why did British Gen. Charles Cornwallis allow himself to be trapped along the Virginia coast near the war’s end?

John Hood argued during today’s John Locke Foundation Shaftesbury Society lecture that a key reason for Cornwallis’ ultimate defeat was the earlier failure of his Carolina Campaign. In the video clip below, Hood summarizes his main argument.

2:30 p.m. update: Click play below to watch the full 1:06:55 event.

You’ll find other John Locke Foundation video presentations here.