The Battles of Lexington & Concord

The Colonists of Massachusets were more than done with the British ruling their lives, and to them, the intolerable acts were the final straw. War had become inevitable at this point, and even though there were peaceful resolutions made between representatives of each colony in the first continental congress, nothing would stop it. On April 19th of 1775, the battles of Lexington & Concord ensued and were marked down in history as the first military engagements of the American Revolution.

The British were on their way to disarm the rebels, as they got hold of information that provided them with the location of a stash containing large quantities of arms and ammunition. Lieutenant Colonel Francis Smith gathered 700 British Army soldiers and marched to Concord, with the sole purpose of destroying the supplies. On April 18, Revere was warned that British Army regulars were making their way to the towns of Lexington and Concord. Having already warned the militia in Concord, which had secured the weapons supply, Revere rode quickly to Lexington to warn the townspeople of the expected British onslaught. The rebel intelligence network suggested that the British aim in Lexington was to capture Samuel Adams and John Hancock, two of the most prominent Patriot leaders.

British soldiers and rebel militiamen had confronted each other on the way to Lexington, and the British demanded that they disperse or surrender. A scrimmage ensued, and the British managed to kill 8 militiamen and only have one of theirs wounded. They continued on their route, but were then met by a larger force of minute men who were waiting for them, and would eventually force them to break rank and retreat. The militiamen proceeded to lay siege to Boston, where they were joined by militias from Connecticut, New Hampshire, and Rhode Island.