Which battles opened the American Revolutionary War, a conflict recalled by America250?

The Battles of Lexington and Concord opened the American Revolutionary War, a conflict recalled by America250.

The fighting took place in Massachusetts on April 19, 1775. British troops marched from Boston toward Concord to seize colonial military supplies, and local militia confronted them first at Lexington. Fighting continued through Concord and along the British retreat toward Boston.

The clashes were the first military engagements of the Revolutionary War. The famous warning that British troops were coming is associated with Paul Revere and other riders, although Revere was captured before reaching Concord and was not the only messenger.

These battles occurred more than a year before the Declaration of Independence. America250 focuses on the 1776 declaration and its anniversary, but the earlier battles form part of the revolutionary sequence that led to independence.