Lord Charles Cornwallis, born in 1738 in Grosvenor Square in London, was a British general and colonial governor. He is best known for leading the British forces in the American Revolution. He was the eldest son of a very distinguished aristocratic family. His parents were Elizabeth, and 1st Charles Cornwallis. He was educated at Eton and Cambridge College. In 1757, he was commissioned an ensign in the army. He toured Europe with Prussian officer Captain de Roguin and studied at a military academy in Turin, Italy to further his career. In 1760, he became a member of the House of Commons as befitting his heritage.
During the Seven Years War (aka the French Indian War as it is referred to in America), Cornwallis fought in several campaigns, such as the famed Battle of Minden. He served mostly in Germany and as an aide-de-camp to the distinguished Marquis de Lord Granby. In July 1768, Cornwallis married the prominent Jemima Jones with whom he had two children. An interesting fact is that while Cornwallis was in the House of Commons, he opposed the taxation policy of the Stamp Act.
Cornwallis may have opposed British taxation policies, but he did not support an open rebellion. In 1775, he was sent to America to squash the American Revolution. He first sailed to South Carolina in May 1776, where he took part in the failed campaign to take Fort Moultrie in Charleston. He then joined General William Howe in New York. Cornwallis moved to the 13 colonies in North America in 1776 to try to control the rebelling colonies. He fought at the Battle of Princeton. George Washington led the Americans in that battle. Later, Cornwallis led British forces through North Carolina and South Carolina, where he fought against American forces under Nathanael Greene. His New York campaigns were highly successful. He captured both Fort Lee and Long Island and drove George Washington entirely out of New York.
In October 1781, Cornwallis's forces surrendered to George Washington at the Battle of Yorktown, ending the American Revolution.
In 1786 Cornwallis was appointed Governor-General of the British colony of India. From 1798 to 1801 Cornwallis was Lord Lieutenant and Commander in Chief of Ireland. He died in 1805