Which 1775 Massachusetts engagements are commonly regarded as the opening battles of the American Revolutionary War?

The Battles of Lexington and Concord are commonly regarded as the opening battles of the American Revolutionary War.

The fighting began on April 19, 1775, when British regulars marched from Boston toward Concord to seize colonial military supplies. Colonial militiamen confronted the troops first at Lexington, where the opening exchange of gunfire produced casualties. British forces continued to Concord, then faced increasingly strong resistance during their retreat to Boston.

The engagements followed years of tension over taxation, imperial authority, and the stationing of British troops in Massachusetts. The confrontation transformed political resistance into open warfare between Britain and the colonies.

Lexington and Concord are often treated as one connected battle, although the day involved several clashes along the road between Boston and Concord. The Battle of Bunker Hill occurred soon afterward, on June 17, 1775. The war continued for years after the opening fighting, ending formally when the Treaty of Paris was signed in 1783.