Letter signed by George Washington accepting British surrender goes on display in London

A letter signed by George Washington accepting British surrender after the Battle of Yorktown went on display in London for the first time. Written in October 1781, the document was given to British Lieutenant General Charles Cornwallis and remained at his Audley End home in Essex until it was presented to the Public Record Office in 1880.

The letter is part of the "Revolution 250: America's Independence Story, 1763–1783" exhibition at The National Archives in Kew. It set in motion negotiations that produced the 1783 Treaty of Paris, in which Britain formally recognized the independence of the United States.

Exhibition contents The exhibition traces the birth of the United States through documents from both sides of the Atlantic. Highlights include the Stamp Act and the Tea Act, accounts of the Boston Tea Party, and a copy of the Declaration of Independence.

A curator stated that the short message had "tremendous consequences for generations to come" and marked the moment Britain accepted the reality of the declaration of independence drafted five years earlier.

Passport release In April, State Department said that it is preparing a limited release of commemorative U.S. passports celebrating America's 250th birthday that feature a picture of President Donald Trump, who would be the first living president to be featured in the travel document.

The passports will be available at first only to applicants at the Washington, D.C., passport office and only on request. "These passports will feature customised artwork and enhanced imagery while maintaining the same security features that make the U.S. passport the most secure documents in the world," State Department spokesperson Tommy Pigott said.