What was the significance of the battles of Lexington and Concord?
1 Answer
They represented the beginning of the Revolutionary War.
Explanation:
In the months leading up to Lexington and Concord, Patriots had begun stockpiling weapons and ammunition (that was being smuggled in via the Spanish, Dutch, and French). They were also organizing militias in case of further disagreements with the British.
British troops were occupying Boston as part of the Intolerable Acts (passed in response to the Boston Tea Party) and heard that munitions were being stored in the nearby towns of Lexington and Concord along with two important Patriot leaders: Samuel Adams and John Hancock.
On the night of April 18, 1775, about 700 British troops left, in secret, to capture the supplies and leaders. However, Patriot spies had learned of the plan, and Paul Revere was sent on horse to warn the towns of the coming British troops.
The British arrived in Lexington on the morning of April 19, and found themselves facing about 80 Patriot militiamen on the green. The British gave several commands to disperse (which were ignored), and then began to march towards the Patriots. At some point, somebody (nobody knows who) fired a shot. This was called the "Shot Heard Round the World." The Patriots soon fled, and many of the British continued to Concord.
Because of the delay in Lexington, and because of outrage at the brief battle that had taken place there, many more Patriots gathered to resist the British near Concord. Some estimate that as many as 4,000 participated in the battle, which resulted in the British troops fleeing back to Boston.
Following the battle, a siege of Boston began by the Patriots. Rebels in Boston quickly fled to the countryside, while those loyal to Britain in the countryside tried to move into Boston.
