The American Revolutionary War began with the Battles of Lexington and Concord on April 19, 1775, where British troops searched for militia stockpiled weapons and supplies. The battles resulted in casualties on both sides and ignited the war that established the United States. The famous “shot heard around the world” started the conflict, and the British withdrew after realizing they were outnumbered. The battles became the rallying cry for the establishment of the Continental Army and the formation of the Second Continental Congress.
The beginning of the American Revolutionary War occurred at the Battles of Lexington and Concord on April 19, 1775. About 700 British troops under the leadership of Lieutenant Colonel Francis Smith descended on Middlesex County Massachusetts in search of militia stockpiled weapons and supplies. Patriots, colonial rebels, learned of the operation before the Redcoats arrived and were ready for troops as they marched through the area. The battles of Lexington and Concord resulted in casualties on both sides, igniting the war that would ultimately establish the United States and change the British Empire forever.
As the sun rose over Lexington, Major John Pitcairn led six companies of light infantry onto the village lawn. Captain John Parker, a veteran of the French and Indian War, led 77 militia from the Buckman Tavern, taking up a defensive position on the commons. After a brief stalemate, Parker realized he was drastically outnumbered. Picairn ordered his men to hold their fire, but as the Patriots began to scatter, but during the confusion, a shot was fired.
No one knows who fired the famous “shot heard around the world,” but with that one shot, America’s Revolutionary War was underway. Reports from the time period state that a colonial observer was responsible. Still others claim that a British officer fired. According to historians, there is evidence to support that no combatants on the ground were the culprit.
The conflict at Lexington was short-lived. The British troops exchanged fire with the Colonials for a short time before fixing bayonets and charging forward. In total, eight settlers were killed and ten wounded. The British suffered only one casualty.
The battles of Lexington and Concord continued well into the morning. Word of the earlier conflict reached the 250 Concord and Lincoln militiamen under the command of Colonel James Barrett. They marched towards Lexington before turning back towards the outskirts of Concord, taking up a defensive position on a ridge. As the British forces marched towards the city, the Patriots gathered on a hill across the North Bridge. Soon, minutemen from nearby towns began swelling the militia’s ranks to 400.
Upon reaching the city, the British searched for guns, but they had already been moved. They then set up for a run-in on the Patriots. When the British reached the bridge, they began firing on the settlers and the Patriots returned fire. More reinforcements soon arrived for both sides, bringing the troop total to 3,800 Patriots fighting against an estimated 1,000 British.
Realizing they were outnumbered, the British withdrew and regrouped in the city. They marched out shortly after noon. This gave the colonists a chance to march on Boston where they would eventually besiege the British forces. Like the early battles of the American Revolutionary War, the conflicts became the rallying cry for the establishment of the Continental Army and the formation of the Second Continental Congress. The battles of Lexington and Concord were the opening shots of a conflict that was to last nearly a decade.
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