Where were the first major battles of the American Revolutionary War fought in April 1775?

The first major battles of the American Revolutionary War were fought at Lexington and Concord in Massachusetts on April 19, 1775. British troops marched from Boston to seize colonial military supplies reportedly stored at Concord.

Patriot intelligence networks learned about the expedition, and riders including Paul Revere, William Dawes, and Samuel Prescott warned local communities. At sunrise in Lexington, British regulars encountered colonial militia. The first shots were fired there, although eyewitnesses disagreed about who fired first.

The British continued to Concord, where colonial forces resisted at the North Bridge. During the retreat to Boston, militia from surrounding towns attacked the British column repeatedly. The day’s fighting caused heavy casualties and transformed political resistance into open war.

The battles are often described as the beginning of the American Revolution, but tensions and armed confrontations had already developed. Lexington and Concord were the first major military actions between British forces and Patriot militias from the Thirteen Colonies.