Why was British control of the Chesapeake Bay important to Cornwallis at Yorktown?

Question

This deals with the American Revolution.

Answer 1

Chesapeake Bay is somewhat of a misnomer. It is not really a bay it is an Estuary or semi enclosed costal body of water.

If you look at present day Chesapeake you will notice that if a warship were to occupy the central part of the harbor, it could fire upon any number of land based targets covering an enormous land distance. Approximately 250 miles of shoreline.

That is the reason. If the British controlled the Bay they would be able to destroy military targes in a wide area of US held territory.