Battles of Lexington and Concord

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First military engagements of the American Revolutionary War

Battles of Lexington and Concord

Depiction of the Battle of Lexington

The Battles of Lexington and Concord were the first military engagements of the American Revolutionary War. They were fought on April 19, 1775, in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, within the towns of Lexington, Concord, Lincoln, Menotomy, and Cambridge. The battles marked the outbreak of open armed conflict between the Kingdom of Great Britain and its thirteen colonies in America.

Background

The tensions between the American colonists and the British government had been escalating for years, primarily due to issues such as the Stamp Act, the Townshend Acts, and the Boston Tea Party. In response, the British government imposed the Intolerable Acts to punish the colonies, particularly Massachusetts. These acts led to the formation of the First Continental Congress and the establishment of colonial militias.

Prelude

In early 1775, General Thomas Gage, the British Governor of Massachusetts, received orders to suppress the rebellious colonists. He planned to seize and destroy military supplies stored by the Massachusetts militia at Concord. On the night of April 18, 1775, Gage sent 700 British troops under the command of Lieutenant Colonel Francis Smith to carry out the mission.

The Battles

Lexington

The first shots were fired just as the sun was rising at Lexington. The colonial militia, led by Captain John Parker, faced the British troops. The skirmish resulted in the deaths of eight militiamen and one British soldier wounded. The exact details of who fired the first shot remain unclear, but it is famously referred to as "the shot heard 'round the world."

Concord

After the brief encounter at Lexington, the British troops marched on to Concord. They met stronger resistance from the colonial militia at the North Bridge, where the British were forced to retreat after a fierce battle. The colonial forces, now numbering over 4000, harassed the British troops all the way back to Boston, inflicting significant casualties.

Aftermath

The Battles of Lexington and Concord were a significant turning point in the American Revolutionary War. They demonstrated the willingness of the American colonists to take up arms against British rule and marked the beginning of the armed conflict that would eventually lead to American independence.

Legacy

The battles are commemorated every year on Patriots' Day in Massachusetts. The sites of the battles are preserved within the Minute Man National Historical Park, which includes the Lexington Battle Green, the North Bridge, and other historical landmarks.

Related Pages

• American Revolutionary War
• Intolerable Acts
• First Continental Congress
• Patriots' Day
• Minute Man National Historical Park