Which battles are generally recognized as the site of the first shots of the American Revolutionary War?

The Battles of Lexington and Concord are generally recognized as the site of the first shots of the American Revolutionary War.

The fighting began on April 19, 1775, in Massachusetts. British troops marched from Boston toward Concord to seize colonial military supplies, while colonial militia gathered to oppose them. The first clash occurred on Lexington Common, and the British column later fought its way back toward Boston through Concord and neighboring communities.

The exact identity of the person who fired the first shot remains unknown. The event became famous because it transformed political tension into open armed conflict between Britain and the colonies.

The battles were not the war's largest engagements, but they had enormous symbolic importance. The conflict continued for more than eight years, ending with the 1783 Treaty of Paris. Lexington and Concord are sometimes confused with Bunker Hill, a later battle fought near Boston in June 1775.