Which battles in April 1775 opened the American Revolutionary War?

The Battles of Lexington and Concord opened the American Revolutionary War in April 1775.

British troops marched from Boston toward Concord, Massachusetts, intending to seize colonial military supplies. American riders, including Paul Revere, William Dawes, and Samuel Prescott, helped alert local militia. At dawn on April 19, British regulars and colonial militia confronted one another on Lexington Common. The first shots were fired there, though historians still debate who fired first.

The British force continued to Concord, where militia resisted at the North Bridge. During the retreat to Boston, colonial fighters attacked the British column repeatedly from behind walls, trees, and houses. The fighting caused hundreds of casualties and led to the Siege of Boston.

Lexington and Concord are sometimes described as one battle, but the name refers to connected engagements at several locations. The events did not immediately create American independence; many colonists still hoped to resolve their dispute with Britain. The Second Continental Congress later created the Continental Army and appointed George Washington its commander.