In the American Revolution commemorated by America250, which battles began the war in April 1775?

The Battles of Lexington and Concord began the American Revolutionary War in April 1775.

British troops marched from Boston on April 19, 1775, intending to seize military supplies at Concord and arrest prominent Patriot leaders. Colonial militiamen confronted the British at Lexington, where the opening skirmish produced the famous “shot heard round the world.” The British continued to Concord, then faced sustained attacks during their retreat to Boston.

The battles were not the result of the Declaration of Independence, which came more than a year later. They began as an armed confrontation between Britain and the rebellious Massachusetts colony while the colonies still formally remained within the British Empire.

Lexington and Concord are often discussed together because the fighting formed one connected expedition and retreat. The action helped transform political resistance into a full-scale war and prompted the Second Continental Congress to organize the Continental Army.