Which battles are considered the opening military engagements of the American Revolutionary War?

The Battles of Lexington and Concord are considered the opening military engagements of the American Revolutionary War.

The fighting took place on April 19, 1775, in the Massachusetts towns of Lexington and Concord and along the British retreat toward Boston. British regulars marched from Boston to seize colonial military supplies, but local militia confronted them at Lexington and later resisted at Concord’s North Bridge.

The clashes transformed political conflict into open warfare. Colonial militia from surrounding communities mobilized, and the British force returned to Boston under sustained attacks. The Siege of Boston followed, and the Continental Congress soon took a larger role in coordinating the colonial war effort.

The battles are sometimes confused with Bunker Hill, fought near Boston on June 17, 1775. Bunker Hill was an early and important battle, but it occurred nearly two months after Lexington and Concord.