what happened at lexington and concord

The Battles of Lexington and Concord were the first military engagements of the American Revolutionary War, fought on April 19, 1775. At dawn in Lexington, about 70 American militiamen faced a British force. A shot was fired—its origin still debated—and the British soldiers fired a volley, killing eight colonists and wounding others. The British then moved on to Concord, where they searched for colonial arms but found many already hidden or destroyed. At Concord’s North Bridge, a larger group of about 320 to 400 American patriots confronted British troops, forcing them to retreat. The British retreat back to Boston was harassed continuously by the colonial militia firing from behind trees, walls, and buildings, suffering significant casualties. This battle demonstrated that American citizen soldiers could stand up to British forces and marked the transition of the conflict into a full struggle for American political independence. The fighting roused thousands of New Englanders to join the colonial forces and begin the Siege of Boston.