Which 1775 engagement is commonly considered the first battle of the American Revolutionary War?

The Battle of Lexington and Concord is commonly considered the first battle of the American Revolutionary War.

Fighting began on April 19, 1775, when British troops marched from Boston toward Concord, Massachusetts, to seize colonial military supplies. Militia and British regulars first clashed at Lexington, where several colonists were killed. Combat continued at Concord and along the British retreat to Boston.

The battles followed years of tension over taxation, representation, and imperial authority. The famous “shot heard round the world” phrase later came to symbolize the opening of the Revolution, although historians cannot identify who fired the first shot.

The engagements did not immediately produce independence. The Second Continental Congress still sought reconciliation at first, and the Declaration of Independence came more than a year later. Lexington and Concord nevertheless transformed political conflict into open war.