Question

What was the significance of the battles of Lexington and Concord?

Answer 1

Hint: These battles marked the commencement of the American War of Independence. These wars turned out to be politically disastrous for the British.

Complete answer:
The Battles of Lexington and Concord were fought on 19 April, 1775 in the towns of Lexington and Concord. This was the first war that broke out between the Kingdom of Britain and 13 British colonies in America.

The war began at Lexington where around 80 militiamen assembled against the British Army. The first shots were fired at sunrise and eight militiamen were killed. The British army on the other hand suffered only one single casualty. The British Army clearly outnumbered the colonials, and the militiamen had to fall back. The British Army proceeded towards Concord.

On reaching Concord, some of the British regulars (around 100) moved towards the North Bridge to look for supplies. They came face to face with an army of 400 militiamen at the bridge. Shots were fired and both sides faced numerous casualties. The British were outnumbered this time and they fell back to join the main body of the British forces in Concord.

The firing of shots continued throughout the day and the militiamen managed to force the British Army to retreat back. The British regulars kept marching backwards until they reached safety in the town of Charlestown. Once the British forces were in Charlestown and Boston, the militiamen blockaded all access to these towns.

This event then led to the Siege of Boston which was the next phase in America's struggle for freedom.

Note:
- The United States of America became a free nation on 4th of July 1776.
- The Thirteen British colonies were also known as the Thirteen American Colonies.
- These were actually British Colonies, which declared that they were no longer subordinate to the British monarch and then they formed the United States of America