Which battles are identified as the opening military engagements of the American Revolution for America250 history?

The opening military engagements of the American Revolution were the Battles of Lexington and Concord.

Fighting began on April 19, 1775, in the Massachusetts towns of Lexington and Concord. British troops marched from Boston to seize colonial military supplies, but colonial militiamen confronted them at Lexington. The conflict continued through Concord and along the British retreat toward Boston.

The encounters transformed political resistance into open warfare between Great Britain and the American colonies. They occurred more than a year before the Declaration of Independence, whose 250th anniversary America250 commemorates in 2026.

The Battles of Lexington and Concord are often described collectively rather than as a single battle. Bunker Hill followed in June 1775, while Saratoga and Yorktown became major turning points later in the war.