The Battle of Lexington and Concord was the first set of battles that started the American Revolutionary War.It was the first set of battles of the war that took place on April 19, 1775, and was fought among the towns of Middlesex County, residing in the Province of Massachusetts Bay, and Lexington, Concord, Lincoln, and Cambridge. Scores of British soldiers went across Boston to Concord on the evening of April 18, 1775, in an attempt to acquire an armament stockpile.On April 19, 1775, there were clashes between British soldiers and American troops who intended to capture the patriots’ guns and capture John Hancock and Samuel Adams on their route to Concord.This was the beginning of the American Revolution. Many of the troops fought against the British in order to get back their freedom and independence. The battle ended with the native Americans winning. The British tried to fight the colonial militiamen off, but their actions only triggered the other American forces and many militia companies to take action as well.In fact, it is believed that the well-crafted alarm system was what granted them victory, as it alerted the local companies near them. This allowed the American militia to hold the British soldiers off.The city of Boston was closed nightly to avoid news of the army’s withdrawal, which was wheeled throughout the harbor later on the evening of April 18, 1775, to the Charles River. ‘The British are approaching,’ Paul Revere and William Dawes shouted as they raced through the towns on the way to Concord, alerting the locals.In 1774, the British Parliament nominated Thomas Gage as Royal Governor of Massachusetts and entrusted him with the task of quelling mounting dissatisfaction created by restricted British ideas. General Gage only made the relationship between the American colonies and the British worse, as he was extremely strict about following British laws that the Americans found oppressive.He was the author of the Coercive Acts, a set of legislation designed to punish the local militias for rebellions against the King, including the famous Boston Tea Party.By mid-April, he was facing massive amounts of negativity and threats of rebellion. He wanted to prevent any chance of violence and ordered the British forces to get a hold of the weaponry and military stores being held at Concord, Massachusetts, which was northwest of Boston. He, however, misjudged the colonial militias’ tenacity and commitment. Gage’s scheme was discovered by Patriot agents. On that night of April 18, Revere as well as other riders, sounded the alarm that British troops were on their way to Concord.On April 19, 70 American Minute Men and the colonial militia fought. Though it is unknown who started the conflict on that fateful day, it left an indelible mark on civilization.Following an eight-year military conflict, those who chose to stand firm against Gage’s ground forces were granted independence from the British Empire and then became residents of the representative democracy of the United States of America.The Battles of Lexington and Concord, which resulted in the iconic shot heard around the world, began the American Revolutionary War on April 19, 1775, which lasted till 1783. It was politically devastating for the British, as numerous Americans were encouraged to take up weapons and support the idea of freedom.If you like what you are reading, why not check out the battle of Cold Harbor facts and the battle of France as well.Insightful Facts About The Battle Of Lexington And ConcordThe Battles of Lexington and Concord were contested in the communities of Lexington and Concord in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, and are remembered as the very first combat operations of the American Revolutionary War.Several famous events occurred throughout the American war, notably Paul Revere’s ride and the very first gunshot heard around the globe.The harsher laws implemented in Massachusetts were due to the Boston Tea Party. In this act of defiance, the continental army destroyed a shipment of tea that was coming in from Britain. The British government had to severely punish them to let the other states know that such acts would not be tolerated.The very first fight of the battle was on Lexington Green. The fight merely took place for a few minutes, and the British army had the upper hand. But on the way back, they were ambushed by the Americans. The British troops reassembled to come back after the Concord hunt was completed. There were no further combat incidents at Concord.The British force, on the other hand, found the journey back to Boston to be extraordinarily tough. They were constantly being shot upon by Americans from concealed places, whose population increased as additional militias arrived from adjacent towns. Smith’s soldiers were ultimately saved by Brigadier General Hugh Percy’s cavalry. Lord Percy and his British army assisted the British retreat.During the fights, the British sustained 273 losses compared to 95 for the Americans. The battles ravaged other towns like Lincoln, Menotomy, which is now Arlington, and even Cambridge.These are a few of the reasons that made the battle significant.Empowering Facts About The Battle Of Lexington And ConcordThe two leaders of the battle were Samuel Adams and John Hancock. Initially, the British soldiers were trying to capture them.The iconic Lexington Minuteman monument was erected in 1900 to represent the American Revolutionary War Patriot army. Captain John Parker, who participated in the conflict, is shown in the sculpture.The title of Minutemen actually began to be used extensively at the start of the Revolutionary War during the battles of Lexington and Concord. Any male soldier who was armed with a gun was considered a Minuteman. In the aftermath of the battle of Lexington and Concord, the troops that fought against the British forces then joined the Continental Army to take part in the American Revolution.The increase and exhibition of dissatisfaction and resentment against the British began with the Boston Tea Party. Certain taxes were levied on the people, which they found difficult and cumbersome. For example, the Sugar Act, Stamp Act, and the Townshend Acts fueled the unrest.The American Revolutionary War resulted in British retreat and success for the colonized Americans. This was due to their immense courage and ability to stand up against their oppressors. Even the British understood that, with the help of ammunition, the Americans would be unstoppable, and they were right.The Green Mountain Boys were a military unit founded in 1770 and saw action between the British colonies of New York and New Hampshire in the region that is now known as Vermont. Any preparations to take a stand against Ethan Allen, the Boys’ commander, were thwarted by the Battles of Lexington and Concord.On May 10, 1775, he grabbed the opportunity to join ranks with Connecticut soldiers led by Benedict Arnold, who conquered Fort Ticonderoga and its vital weaponry. It was a crucial early help to provincial confidence in the war against the British, and when the Green Mountain Division was officially admitted into the Army, Allen was honored by the Continental Congress as its leader.Inspirational Facts About The Battle Of Lexington And ConcordThe battle that started at Lexington Green was the spark that started the Revolutionary War, and this was the beginning of the conflict between the British army and the original 13 colonies of America. This conflict lasted eight years.On April 7, 1775, Dr. Joseph Warren, an American doctor, dispatched Paul Revere, a Boston craftsman, to notify the Massachusetts Provincial Congress about the British army activity in Boston, which resulted in Concord inhabitants transporting military hardware out of the city.Paul Revere and William Dawes were dispatched once more on the evening of April 18, 1775, to inform the Americans of the British attack.In what has been remembered as the Midnight Ride, Revere headed off on horseback, alerting American forces along the route about the British plans. They all, in turn, rode out to issue their respective cautions.The iconic legend of Paul Revere was born in 1861 when Henry Longfellow wrote a poem about Revere’s role in the revolution called Paul Revere’s Ride.An interesting fact about the American Revolutionary War was that the Americans started using guerrilla warfare. This is the kind of fight in which soldiers hide in trees or restricted locations to attack their foes. During a period of face-to-face battles, this was considered dirty war tactics. However, these strategies helped the American Revolution achieve its success.Powerful Facts About The Battle Of Lexington And ConcordGeneral Gage issued instructions for an excursion underneath the overarching lead of Lieutenant Colonel Smith to protest to Concord to capture and decimate all military retail locations currently there. Major John Pitcairn was the British officer to govern 10 elite light infantry organizations, while Lieutenant Colonel Benjamin Bernard directed 11 grenadier companies.On their way to Concord, 700 troops led by Pitcairn reached Lexington at daybreak on April 19, 1775, after being commanded to proceed ahead. Approximately 80 Lexington troops, led by Captain John Parker, a survivor of the French and Indian War, greeted them.Lieutenant Colonel Smith instructed the British column to investigate Concord for United states military guns and equipment, although most of the equipment had been concealed or incinerated prior to their presence. At Concord’s North Bridge, a British battalion of roughly 90 troops led by Captain Walter Laurie was met by about 400 members of the American militia.A short exchange of gunfire occurred, with the very first example of Americans shooting lethal rounds at British regulars, forcing them to retreat.In his 1837 poem titled ‘Concord Hymn’, popular American poet Ralph Waldo Emerson dubbed the very first chance to shoot in the battle of Lexington in this scuffle the ‘shot heard around all the globe.‘The battle of Lexington and Concord will always remain one of the events that lit up the American Revolution. It is one of the cornerstone battles in American history, both due to its relevance to the colonials, and also regarding the message that it was sending to the rest of the world, that freedom and liberty were indeed possible.Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly facts for everyone to enjoy! If you liked our suggestions for the Battle of Lexington and Concord, then why not take a look at the battle of Gallipoli or the battle of Gettysburg facts.

The Battle of Lexington and Concord was the first set of battles that started the American Revolutionary War.