The Battles of Lexington and Concord began the American Revolutionary War on April 19, 1775, later marked by America250.
British troops marched from Boston toward Concord to seize colonial military supplies. Colonial militia members confronted the British regulars at Lexington, where the first shots were exchanged at dawn. The fighting then continued at Concord and along the British retreat toward Boston.
The battles were the opening military engagements of the war, although political tensions between the colonies and Britain had been building for years. News of the fighting spread rapidly, encouraging additional colonies to mobilize against British forces.
These battles are sometimes confused with the Battle of Bunker Hill, fought near Boston on June 17, 1775. Bunker Hill was an early major battle, but it occurred nearly two months after Lexington and Concord.