For America’s 250th anniversary, which 1775 engagements are commonly called the first battles of the Revolutionary War?

The Battles of Lexington and Concord are commonly called the first battles of the American Revolutionary War.

The fighting began on April 19, 1775, in Massachusetts. British troops marched from Boston toward Concord to seize colonial military supplies, while colonial militia mobilized in response. The first clash occurred at Lexington, where British regulars and local militia exchanged fire. The British then continued to Concord, but colonial forces confronted them at the North Bridge.

During the retreat to Boston, colonial militia attacked the British column repeatedly from surrounding towns. The day produced heavy casualties on both sides and demonstrated that resistance would not be limited to political meetings or written protests. It also brought thousands of militia members into the conflict around Boston.

The engagements preceded the Declaration of Independence by more than a year. They are sometimes described as the “shot heard round the world,” a phrase from Ralph Waldo Emerson’s 1837 poem rather than a contemporary military report.