What historical milestone is associated with the 1775 Battles of Lexington and Concord?

The 1775 Battles of Lexington and Concord marked the beginning of the American Revolutionary War.

The fighting took place on April 19, 1775, in Massachusetts. British troops marched from Boston toward Concord to seize colonial military supplies, while Patriot riders warned local militias of the expedition. The first shots were exchanged at Lexington, and fighting continued through Concord and neighboring communities as the British returned to Boston.

The battles were the first major military actions between British forces and Patriot militias in the Thirteen Colonies. Although Lexington was a brief skirmish, the broader day-long engagement caused substantial casualties and triggered the Siege of Boston. Thousands of colonial militiamen soon gathered around the city.

The phrase “shot heard round the world” comes from Ralph Waldo Emerson’s 1837 poem about Concord, not from a contemporary military report. The battles began the war, but American independence was not recognized until the Treaty of Paris in 1783.