General Charles O'Hara, a figure often relegated to the footnotes of history, played a surprisingly pivotal, albeit unwitting, role in the American Founding. A British officer during the Revolutionary War, his surrender at Yorktown to General George Washington is far from his only claim to fame. Ironically, O'Hara's meticulous handling of the surrender ceremony, including the precise and formal transfer of documents, inadvertently provided a powerful symbol of the fledgling nation's legitimacy and victory. This meticulously documented surrender served as a tangible representation of the successful rebellion, solidifying American independence in the eyes of both domestic and international observers. While his actions on the battlefield directly served the British crown, his precise and formal conduct at Yorktown ultimately contributed to the triumph of the American cause.