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The Early Battles: Lexington and Concord

The first battle of the American Revolution took place in the locality of Boston, where the British force there numbered some 3500 soldiers. The British were aware that the militia members were being trained and reorganised into local milita's known as minutemen, who were supposed to ready for immediate service after one minutes notice. The British were afraid that large ammunition and weapons were being gathered in towns outside of Boston. On the night of April 18–19, 1775, the British sent out over 700 regulars to seize military stores being gathered at Concord, some 29 km from Boston. The move did not escape the eyes of Patriots like Paul Revere, who rode into the countryside to give the alarm. John Hancock & Samuel Adams, two important rebel leaders in Boston and the British found out that they were staying in Lexington on April 18.

Tombstone of Paul Revere

Early on the morning of April 19, the advance guard of the British force exchanged fire with a party of militia at Lexington; eight Americans were killed, and the British continued marching on to Concord, The British commander, found that most of the military stores had already been removed. When the regulars reached Boston, British casualties numbered 273, American casualties less than 100. Militia companies from at least 23 towns took part in this operation, which was nothing less than an uprising in arms of a whole countryside against the British. The American attack forced the British back to Boston and as more militia forces kept coming they were able to close in on the city, forcing the British into the beseiged city until the British left on March 17, 1776.