Which Massachusetts event is regarded as the first major military action of the American Revolutionary War?

The Battles of Lexington and Concord are regarded as the first major military actions of the American Revolutionary War.

The fighting took place in Massachusetts on April 19, 1775. British troops marched from Boston toward Concord to seize colonial military supplies. Patriot leaders had received warnings about the expedition, and local militias gathered along the route. The first clash occurred at Lexington, where British regulars confronted a much smaller group of militia.

The British continued to Concord and searched for weapons and ammunition, but much of the military store had already been moved. At the Old North Bridge, Patriot militia engaged British troops and forced them to withdraw. The return march to Boston became a running battle as additional colonial forces attacked from the surrounding countryside.

Paul Revere helped spread the warning, but he was not the only rider involved; William Dawes and Samuel Prescott also carried alerts. The identity of the person who fired the first shot at Lexington remains uncertain. The battles began the armed conflict that ultimately produced the independent United States.