Lexington, Battle of

Lexington, Battle of a conflict marking the beginning of the Revolutionary War in Lexington, Massachusetts, on April 19, 1775. An American force of about seventy minutemen under Capt. John Parker assembled on Lexington green after receiving word from dispatch riders, including Paul Revere, that a British force of about 250 men, under Maj. John Pitcairn, was advancing to Concord to confiscate provincial military supplies. British soldiers fired on Parker's force after hearing a gunshot, although which side the shot came from is uncertain, and it may have been accidental. When the British force arrived at Concord, the supplies had already been removed. A firefight ensued at the North Bridge over the Concord River (Battle of Concord), and the Americans demonstrated that they were capable of using armed force to resist the British regulars. As the British retreated to Boston, colonists fired at them, mostly from behind stone walls. The two battles led to the siege of Boston.