On April 19th, 1775, the Battles of Lexington and Concord ignited the American Revolutionary War. Tensions had escalated between the British and colonists over taxation, culminating in the British march on Concord to seize weapons and capture rebel leaders.
Alerted by Paul Revere’s warning, Samuel Adams and John Hancock escaped. At Lexington, colonial militiamen faced a much larger British force. A shot rang out, marking the iconic “shot heard round the world.” The British retaliated with volleys, forcing the colonists to retreat. In Concord, despite the British search, the arms cache remained elusive. Minutemen, mobilizing swiftly, harassed the Redcoats from cover, forcing their retreat. With these confrontations, the American Revolution had officially commenced.