The Battles of Lexington and Concord on April 19, 1775, were the first major military actions between the British Army and Patriot militias from British America's Thirteen Colonies during the American
1985 painting of the initial firefight at Lexington
Thomas Gage
Francis Smith, commander of the military expedition, in a 1763 portrait
A March 24, 1775, resolution, signed by John Hancock, resolves that measures for "putting this colony into a complete state of defense, be still most vigorously pursued by the several towns, as well as individual inhabitants".
Siege of Boston
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The siege of Boston was the opening phase of the American Revolutionary War. In the siege, American patriot militia led by newly-installed Continental Army commander George Washington prevented the Br
Battles of Lexington and Concord
…the safety of Charlestown after incurring heavy losses. The militias then blockaded the narrow land accesses to Charlestown and Boston, starting the siege of Boston. The British Army occupied Boston in 1768. Royal Navy units and Royal Marines were added to enforce the Coercive Acts of 1774, as colonists named them…
1911 painting of the British evacuation of Boston
An engraving depicting Ethan Allen demanding the surrender of Fort Ticonderoga
The Battle of Bunker Hill, Howard Pyle, 1897
George Washington taking command of the Army, 1775