Lexington and Concord

What happened

On 19 April 1775 British troops marched from Boston to seize colonial arms at Concord. Militia met them at Lexington, where a shot — the 'shot heard round the world' — began the fighting, and again at Concord's North Bridge, from which the British were driven back to Boston under fire.

Why it matters

Lexington and Concord were the first battles of the American Revolutionary War, turning a decade of protest into armed rebellion.

Sources

• National Park Service. The Battles of Lexington and Concord · Reputable source