Which battles on April 19, 1775, are generally regarded as the opening battles of the American Revolutionary War?

The Battles of Lexington and Concord on April 19, 1775, are generally regarded as the opening battles of the American Revolutionary War.

British troops marched from Boston toward Concord to seize colonial military supplies. Militia and British regulars first clashed at Lexington, Massachusetts, where the opening confrontation occurred. Fighting continued at Concord and along the British retreat route through several towns, including Lincoln and Menotomy, now Arlington.

The battles followed years of tension over taxation, military occupation, and colonial self-government. Their significance was greater than their immediate scale: the fighting transformed political resistance into open war. News of the clashes spread rapidly through the colonies, helping mobilize support for the Patriot cause. The Continental Congress later appointed George Washington commander in chief, and the conflict continued until the British surrender at Yorktown and the Treaty of Paris.