The Battles of Lexington and Concord began on April 19, 1775, a milestone marked by America250.
British troops marched from Boston toward Concord to seize colonial military supplies. Patriot intelligence had warned local militia, and the first clashes occurred at Lexington before the British continued toward Concord. Fighting at the Old North Bridge forced the British troops to retreat toward Boston under sustained attacks from colonial militia.
The battles were the first major military actions of the American Revolutionary War. The phrase “shot heard round the world” became associated with the opening fighting, although the identity of the person who fired the first shot remains uncertain. Paul Revere helped spread the warning, but he was not the only rider involved; William Dawes and Samuel Prescott also carried alerts.