What battle began the American Revolutionary War, a conflict remembered during America250?

The Battles of Lexington and Concord began the American Revolutionary War, a conflict remembered during America250. Fighting occurred on April 19, 1775, when British troops marched from Boston toward Concord to seize military supplies.

At Lexington, British regulars encountered local militia and exchanged fire. The British continued to Concord, where Patriot forces confronted them at the Old North Bridge. During the return march toward Boston, growing numbers of colonial militiamen attacked the British column from surrounding towns.

The engagements are often summarized as the “shot heard round the world,” although the identity of the person who fired the first shot remains disputed. Lexington was a brief skirmish, while the day included several connected actions across Massachusetts. The battles triggered the Siege of Boston and led the Second Continental Congress to organize a continental war effort. They occurred more than a year before the Declaration of Independence was adopted.