04/19/2026
APRIL 19, 1775, DAWN
American Revolution Opening Day
The British were not expecting a fight in Lexington, they simply wanted to seize military supplies, destroy colonial weapons and arrest Samuel Adams and John Hancock whom they believed were in Lexington at the time. Delayed by a lack of boats, 700 regulars began a slow, noisy march after midnight on the 18 April 1775 for 3-4 hours encountering patriot alarms along the way. It was raining. Roads were muddy. The troops wearing their distinctive coats and heavy gear arrived in Lexington around 5:00 a.m. There they met 70-80 local militiamen. A “shot” fired, leading to a 15-20 minute chaotic fight that killed eight colonists before them British continued to Concord.
Mystery. Who fired that shot? The Regulars claimed militiamen fired. The militiamen claimed the Regulars fired. Someone said a nervous man on the Green fired. Another said it was a spectator sitting behind a stone wall near Buckman Tavern did. Regardless, that shot became the known as the opening engagement of the American Revolutionary War, galvanizing colonial resistance.
The colonists on the Green scrambled. The British marched on to Concord. Another shot! This one was ordered. The Concord battle lasted all day both sides doing a running battle for 16 miles. By 6:00 that night, the British had retreated to Charlestown.
Our rebels shocked the British leaving them dismayed by the events. Colonial resistance was unexpected. It was disorderly and an act of rebellion. It was not even a “legitimate” fight. Early reports were dismissed as propaganda but truth was heavy casualties were suffered by the British during their retreat to Boston (273 total). This forced them to recognize the serious, armed defiance of the colonists.
