Which battles marked the opening military engagements of the American Revolutionary War in April 1775?

The Battles of Lexington and Concord marked the opening military engagements of the American Revolutionary War in April 1775.

British troops marched from Boston toward Concord to seize colonial military supplies. On April 19, fighting broke out at Lexington, where local militiamen confronted the advancing force. The British continued to Concord, but colonial resistance forced them to retreat toward Boston.

The clashes transformed a political crisis into open warfare. Colonial militia units gathered from surrounding communities and attacked the British column repeatedly during its return march. The events helped persuade the Second Continental Congress to organize a continental army.

The phrase “shot heard round the world” is associated with the opening shot at Lexington, although the exact circumstances of that first shot remain uncertain. The battles took place more than a year before the Declaration of Independence.