Background

The American Colonies--Massachusetts, in particular--had seen many incidents of protest and disobedience against the British crown in the late 1760s and early 1770s. By 1775, matters had reached a head: In response to the Boston Tea Party, Boston's port was closed and the city placed under military occupation. However, despite the presence of what by North American standards was a powerful army of more than 3,000 soldiers in Boston, the British exercised virtually no control over the rest of the Massachusetts colony.

Gage Moves Out

In April 1775, Massachusetts' British military governor General Thomas Gage received orders from London to take steps to begin bringing the countryside under control. It was known to the government that the colony's militia organizations were stockpiling arms and ammunition. Gage was ordered to disarm the rebellious colonists and arrest their leaders, including founding fathers like Samuel Adams and John Hancock. On the morning of April 18, Gage sent mounted patrols into the hinterland around Boston to intercept messengers and screen his preparations, but his had the unintended effect of warning the area militias that the British were up to something. Colonial rebels were suspicious that the British had been planning a move of some kind since the beginning of April, and the cavalry patrols only confirmed their suspicions.

March to Concord

A force of 700 British soldiers left Boston for Concord late on April 18, under the command of Lieutenant Colonel Francis Smith. Just ahead of them were Paul Revere and William Dawes, spreading the alarm. They arrived in Lexington, a town between Boston and Concord, to find Adams, Hancock, and a gathering of militia. The decision was made to continue spreading the alarm, summon more militia and fight.

Lexington

The British column reached Lexington just after dawn on April 19. They were confronted by a band of 77 militia under Captain John Parker. They were ordered to lay down their arms and disband, and--in partial compliance--Parker told his men to go home. However, there was a great deal of confusion and the orders were only haltingly obeyed. Before long, someone had fired a shot. It was the first shot of the American Revolution, and to this day who fired it remains a matter of dispute. The British responded to the firing with a bayonet charge that killed and wounded several militiamen and onlookers and dispersed the defenders. The way to Concord was clear.

Concord

Meanwhile more militia had gathered at Concord. Approximately 250 militia marched out to meet the British on the road. When they discovered they were outnumbered by almost 3 to 1, they quickly retreated back into town. The British occupied the town and began to carry out their orders, destroying a number of war supplies. While the British regulars were engaged with this work, the militia continued to collect. A force of more than 400 Colonials broke a British line of roughly 100 men at the North Bridge but did not exploit their success. The British finished their work and began the march back to Boston.

The Retreat to Boston

By the time Smith marched out of Concord, more than 1,000 militia had gathered. Their numbers would double by early afternoon. These militia men harassed the retreating British column by firing from behind every stone wall, tree and barn on the road back to Boston. At several points along the way, large groups of militia formed and fought brief, massed actions against the British regulars. It is certain that Smith's original force would have been doomed had it not been for the arrival of 1,000 reinforcements under Colonel Percy at around 2:30 p.m.

Aftermath

The combined column of Smith and Percy managed to get back to Boston, but not without losing 73 dead, 174 wounded and more than 50 missing. The British had escaped encirclement and disaster on the open road, but they were now bottled up in Boston. Soon a militia army drawn from all over New England would gather outside Boston, reaching a strength of 15,000 men and placing the city under siege. When the Continental Congress met, they would appoint George Washington to lead this army. The Revolutionary War had begun.