The Battle of Yorktown revolutionized the continental states on October 17th, 1781 whenever the Continental Army snuck over to the British's base and cornered the British's General, Lord Charles Cornwallis (Battle of Yorktown - Definition). The British's reaction to this was the waving of a white flag attached to a pole, signalizing the British surrendered (Battle of Yorktown - Definition). After the battle, the new country went into debt and eventually got loans and reformed a new stable currency (Milestones in the History of U.S. Foreign Relations).