The Battles of Lexington and Concord took place on April 19, 1775, marking the first major military actions of the American Revolution.
British troops marched from Boston toward Concord to seize colonial military supplies. Patriot riders, including Paul Revere, William Dawes, and Samuel Prescott, warned local militias that the expedition was approaching.
The first fighting occurred at Lexington, where British regulars encountered colonial militia. At Concord’s Old North Bridge, militia forces later engaged British troops, who then began a difficult return march toward Boston under repeated fire.
The phrase “shot heard round the world” is commonly associated with the opening of the Revolution, though the exact identity of the person who fired the first shot at Lexington remains disputed. The battles began the Siege of Boston.