Which 1775 battles were the first major military actions of the American Revolutionary War?

The Battles of Lexington and Concord were the first major military actions 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. Local militia confronted the British at Lexington, and fighting continued through Concord and along the troops’ return route.

The day ended with an American victory and heavy British casualties. The clashes triggered the Siege of Boston and transformed a political crisis into a large-scale armed conflict. The battles also helped bring colonial communities together in resistance to British military action.

Lexington is often remembered for the first shots, but the events were a series of engagements rather than one single battle. The fighting involved Lexington, Concord, Lincoln, Menotomy, and Cambridge. The Battle of Bunker Hill followed two months later, while Saratoga and Yorktown became later turning points in the war.