Which battle on April 19, 1775, began the armed conflict of the American Revolutionary War?

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

British soldiers marched from Boston toward Concord to seize colonial military supplies. Colonial militia confronted them at Lexington, where the first shots were exchanged. The British continued to Concord, but militia resistance forced their return march toward Boston.

The fighting spread along the road through several communities, including Menotomy and Lexington. Colonial forces eventually surrounded Boston, turning a local clash into a broader military crisis. The battles followed years of disputes over taxation, representation, and imperial authority.

The phrase “shot heard round the world” became associated with the opening clash, although the expression came later from Ralph Waldo Emerson’s 1837 poem “Concord Hymn.” The Battle of Bunker Hill occurred two months later, while Saratoga and Yorktown were later turning points in the war.