Which two battles began the armed conflict behind the independence celebrated by America250?

The Battles of Lexington and Concord began the armed conflict behind the independence celebrated by America250.

The battles took place in Massachusetts on April 19, 1775, between British regulars and Massachusetts militia. British troops marched from Boston toward Concord to seize military supplies, but colonial riders and local militia mobilized in response. The first fighting occurred at Lexington, followed by clashes at Concord and along the British retreat.

The battles are widely regarded as the opening military engagements of the American Revolutionary War. Their significance grew because the fighting demonstrated that resistance had become armed conflict rather than only a political dispute. The news helped bring the colonies together behind the Continental Congress and the Continental Army.

Lexington and Concord were not the battles that ended the war. The American victory at Yorktown in 1781 led to peace negotiations, and the Treaty of Paris in 1783 formally recognized American independence. America250 looks back to the full path from the 1775 fighting to the 1776 declaration.