Battles of Lexington and Concord

The Battles of Lexington and Concord were the first two battles of the Revolutionary War.

Background
For seven years, thousands of British troops occupied the Boston Common area. On April 17, 1775, these soldiers were involved in the initiative to "quell the growing tide of revolution" under the command of General Thomas Gage. Gage had received orders from the Earl of Dartmouth to see all artillery, ammunition, provisions, and weaponry held by the colonists of Concord destroyed.

The general ordered Lieutenant Colonel Smith to take 21 companies of their best soldiers in haste and secrecy to Concord, in order to disarm the militia. Gage instructed Smith to destroy the weaponry but not to harm the colonists, steal from them or destroy their property. Before midnight, Smith then set out with 700 soldiers from Boston Common to face the militia.

In response, Paul Revere instructed Robert Newman to climb to the top of the Old North Church, lighting two lanterns to alert the colonists that the British forces were approaching via the Charles River. While Newman broadcasted the warning, Revere started towards Lexington and Concord on his famous "midnight ride" to warn fellow patriots Samuel Adams and John Hancock that the British had mobilized to seize their weaponry.

The two forces met near the Old North Bridge, where the first shots were fired, starting the battles of Lexington and Concord, sparking the Revolutionary War. A statue is located near the bridge to commemorate the event. A subsequent poem written by Longfellow spoke of the battles, including the line, "One if by land, two if by sea." Lexington and Concord are also mentioned on a commemorative mural to "America's Freedom Fighters" at the Museum of Freedom.

Behind the scenes
The Battles of Lexington and Concord are real world events in the history of the United States.