10 Most Important Battles In US History
2. The Battles Of Lexington And Concord - American Revolutionary War
The Revolutionary War had been brewing for years as American colonists performed act after act of rebellion, such as throwing tea into the Boston Harbor because John Hancock was not able to sell his merchandise without being taxed to a point of bankruptcy. In 1775, the situation turned violent. It officially started with the shots “heard round the world”, fired by either local militiamen or the “redcoats” of the British Army.
On 19 April 1775, after hearing Paul Revere’s dire warnings, some 77 men gathered at Lexington, northwest of Boston, to stand up to 700 British Regulars. A British major, possibly John Pitcairn, shouted at the colonial rebels to lay down their arms, of which none of them did. To this day, historians are still uncertain of which side fired the first shot. Regardless of where the first shot came from, British troops rained down fire upon the militiamen, who quickly fled.
However, not to be outdone, the Americans regrouped to the northwest at Concord, with 400 men collected from the region. It was here that the battle truly took place. Meeting at the North Bridge, the two sides exchanged fire, with the outgunned and exhausted British forces falling into a retreat which was hounded by American fire. The American Revolution, with its match-up of underdog vs powerhouse, had officially begun. North America, Europe, and the world would never be the same with a new player.