Which 1775 battles are widely regarded as the opening major military actions of the American Revolutionary War?

The Battles of Lexington and Concord are widely regarded as the opening major military actions of the American Revolutionary War.

The fighting took place on April 19, 1775, in Middlesex County, Massachusetts. British troops marched from Boston toward Concord to seize colonial military supplies, while Patriot leaders attempted to warn local militias and move the stores to safety.

The first clash occurred at Lexington, where British regulars encountered local militia at sunrise. The British then continued to Concord, but Patriot forces resisted them at the North Bridge. During the retreat toward Boston, growing numbers of colonial militia attacked the British column from the surrounding countryside.

The battles began the armed conflict that developed into the Revolutionary War. They are associated with the phrase “the shot heard round the world,” although historians cannot establish with certainty who fired the first shot at Lexington. Paul Revere helped spread the alarm, but he was joined by William Dawes and Samuel Prescott, who also warned communities along the route.