Which 1775 battles began the American Revolutionary War between British troops and Patriot militias?

The Battles of Lexington and Concord began the American Revolutionary War on April 19, 1775.

British troops marched from Boston toward Concord to seize colonial military supplies. Patriot riders, including Paul Revere, William Dawes, and Samuel Prescott, warned local communities, allowing Massachusetts militia units to assemble. Fighting first broke out at Lexington, where British regulars encountered colonial militiamen, and continued at Concord and along the British retreat to Boston.

The battles were not a single clash at one location but a day-long series of engagements across several Massachusetts communities. Colonial forces eventually compelled the British expedition to withdraw to Boston, where the Siege of Boston began. The conflict expanded into a wider war after the Continental Congress organized the Continental Army and appointed George Washington commander.

Bunker Hill followed in June 1775, while Saratoga and Yorktown came later. America250 commemorates the 250th anniversary of the revolutionary conflict that began with these April 1775 battles.