SIGNIFICANCE OF BATTLE OF LEXINGTON AND CONCORD

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Appeasement between Great Britain and its colonies had failed; therefore, the British

government dispatched an order to put down the rebellion. As a result, on April 19, 1775, the

American Revolutionary War began, now known as the Battle of Lexington and Concord.

General Thomas Gage received a dispatch from Great Britain on April 14, 1775, informing him

that he had the mandate to suppress the colonists. On this note, to arrest or destroy the Patriots'

supply of gunpowder, General Gage planned to send 700 soldiers to Concord.1 Afterwards, they

will travel on to Lexington, where John Hancock and Sam Adams were residing. The decision

was to take the two into custody at that time. The Redcoats would leave for Lexington and

Concord on April 18. Joseph Warren dispatched two massagers after he learned of a British

advance on Concord from a source within the British Command. Redcoats were advancing on

the countryside on April 18, so Paul Revere, Samuel Prescott, and William Dawes set out on

horseback that night. After crossing the Charles River, Revere saw two lanterns hanging from the

Christ Church bell tower in Boston to confirm what Warren had told him. The Sons of Liberty

gave forewarning in this signal that the British would arrive by sea. The Battle of Lexington

Green was the first battle between British troops and revolutionaries, which led to the creation of

the United States.

Battles of Lexington and Concord erupted on April 19, 1775, marking the beginning of

the American Revolutionary War.2 These wars were small, but they were intricate and crucial in

making subsequent decisions, rebellions, and opinions shifts that ultimately led to the American

revolution. Conflict erupted between two villages outside of Boston because of the escalating

political tensions between the United Kingdom and its American colonies. Commander-in-chief

Major General Thomas Gage dispatched 800 soldiers to seize military supplies at Concord,
1
George C. Daughan, Lexington and Concord: The Battle Heard Round the World (W. W.
Norton, 2018)
2
Daughan, Revolutionary War
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located roughly 20 miles inland at the time of the invasion. About 250 British soldiers headed by

Major John Pitcairn approached Lexington as morning broke, passing by the militia company of

about 70 men under Captain John Parker.

Pitcairn noticed armed soldiers on his right flank and assumed they were about to be

attacked. As a result, he sent troops to the area when one of their weapons inadvertently went off.

As a result of the British forces believing they were under attack, they opened fire on Parker's

Company, killing eight colonists. A gang of armed men was advancing on the marchers as they

approached Concord, discovering that the colonists had withdrawn their supplies. At the northern

bridge of the Concord River, the militia displayed their ability to resist by force of arms and

British regulars' progress through the area. As they approached Boston, resistance to the raiders

grew, despite the lack of a coherent plan.3 Because of this, the fights appear to be the first steps

towards the American Revolution and independence. While both sides suffered tremendous

losses, none emerged victorious over the other. As a result, these clashes jeopardised British

defence and radicalised American patriots.

When a British general in Boston ordered his forces to seize weaponry and ammunition

kept at Concord, a fight ensued. After the colonial militia received a warning that the British

were on their way, they met the royal army on the village green in Lexington, Massachusetts,

and shots erupted; no one knows who fired the first shot. Following the shots, eight colonials

perished. The British forces had no option but to flee after a sniper opened fire and killed dozens

of people. When the group from the army went to Concord, which is about 18 miles from

Boston, it was on Tuesday night. Citizens across the country began gathering in the early hours

3
Theodore P. Savas and J. D. Dameron, A Guide to the Battles of the American
Revolution (Savas Beatie, 2006)
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of the morning to track the progress of the armed forces. A party of around 100 militiamen in

Lexington, which is six miles from Concord, gathered and marched toward the meeting house.4

Just as the sun was rising, the troops came into view of them. To which the troops responded

with a muzzle, the commanding officer confronted them in the manner of "Disperse, damn you,

throw your arms down and disperse." When one of the cops pulled his weapon, it sparked the

immediate fire of approximately five other officers, and it appeared as if there was a general

commanding the entire body. A total of eight men got killed, and nine more were injured.

Following this action, the enemy resumed their march toward Concord, where they destroyed

several wheels, carriages, and about twenty barricades of flour belonging to the province, as well

as various other pieces of equipment. One hundred and fifty men were making their way towards

the bridge, which was in the grip of the adversaries. The latter opened fire and killed four of our

soldiers, who then returned fire, forcing the opponents to retreat to Lexington, where they

encountered Lord Percy, who had brought a substantial reinforcement in the form of two

cannons.

As a result, the enemy now has a force of approximately eighteen hundred troops. They

came to a complete stop, picked up their dead, and attended to their injuries. After nearly two

hours of standing still, the enemy determined that it was necessary to retreat for the second time,

bringing with them the injured and the dead who had been transported in chaises and on horses

that they had discovered along the way. Even though they had field pieces, our troops continued

to fire at them until they reached Charlestown Neck after dark. After General Gage obtained

knowledge of the high-quality military supplies being gathered at Concord for the express

intention of equipping a force of troops to act in his place to His government, the British storey is

4
Judith Peacock, The Battles of Lexington and Concord (Taylor & Francis US, 2002)
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that the British army was dispatched to the area. Under the commander's orders, Lieutenant-

Colonel Smith marched to the location of the shops, as mentioned earlier on Tuesday night.

When six light-infantry companies arrived to guard the two bridges beyond Concord, they found

a group of people armed on a green near the road. When the king's troops marched up to them to

find out why they were gathered, there was much confusion, and the king's troops came under

gunfire from a stone wall meeting house and other residences. One person got injured in the

gunfire, and Major Pitcairn's horse got shot twice. As a result of the rebels' attack, the military

exchanged fire, killing several of them. However, the detachment walked to Concord without

causing any harm to their mission, which was to remove the trunnions, burn new carriages, and

dump them in the river.

While this was going on, many rebels gathered in various parts of the country. A

significant number of them attacked the light infantry stationed at one of the bridges, resulting in

a battle that resulted in the deaths and injuries of several of them, the soldiers. Upon returning

from Concord, the troops got miffed because the rebels had ambushed them and killed or

wounded numerous of their own. But Lord Percy's brigade arrived in Lexington with two

cannons and scattered the rebels quickly.5 They began firing again from behind the walls as the

troops resumed their march, resulting in the deaths and injuries of several men. The number of

rebels killed and wounded is unknown at this time, but the loss was significant. During the

British retreat to Boston, the Americans continued to amass troops and annoy the British with

attacks and counterattacks. Approximately seventy-three British soldiers and one hundred and

seventy-four American soldiers were killed or injured when the British entered Boston. At the

same time, the Americans lost forty-nine men and forty-one wounded. During these fights, the

5
Thomas Fleming, The Strategy of Victory: How General George Washington Won the
American Revolution (Da Capo Press, 2017)
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American Revolution began. Thousands of militiamen encircled Boston after shots erupted,

igniting the Americans' sense of victory and inspiring them to stick together and fight on.

One of the most significant events in American history occurred during the Revolutionary

War when long-suffering colonists finally gained their independence from an oppressive

government and began the process of building a new country on the principles of the rights and

liberties for which they had fought. The concepts that the colonists came up with still influence

the government today. Lexington and Concord conflicts brought liberation to the colonists,

which led to the creation and modification of their regulations. They could now put their

weapons wherever they wanted because they were now theirs. Initially, it helped the United

States gain independence from Great Britain, and it also helped it break away from the British

Empire. The conflict also led to mutual respect between the British and American nations,

eventually leading to peace. Consequently, it also established a republic that aimed to serve its

population rather than the monarchy or the aristocracy.

Along with a shared history of struggle, culture, and faith in the greater good, America's

revolution helped to build a distinct national identity. While each colony had its unique history

and culture, the war brought the thirteen colonies together under one banner. In the end, the

insurgency joined together as a single force dedicated to achieving freedom for all.

Consequently, this distilled the nation's earliest days of chaos and violence into a single story.

People's political rights and social standing alter as more people participate in politics and have

the opportunity to vote for a leader they trust. In addition, men dominated state and local politics.

After being emancipated from slavery, African-Americans could join other newly freed people

and participate in government decision-making processes. Market settlement sectors were readily

available, allowing people to move about more freely.

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As a result of the opening of the trade sector, the economy improved, and new

manufacturing businesses were established, creating employment possibilities. In the short term,

it has a tremendous impact on the lives of American women. American citizens were able to take

advantage of educational facilities and pursue their academic interests. British oversight was not

necessary for the American colonies to possess property and begin cultivating their food.6 You

could not do anything of your own because the king's commands dictated everything. Still, at the

end of this conflict, Americans can make their own decisions because they are no longer a

British colony. The transportation sector was open to moving freely from one place to another

without being hijacked and taken as slaves to labor for British leaders. As a result of the

termination of the American's harassment, the death rate decreased and tranquilly was restored.

The American Revolution began with the battles of Lexington and Concord. After

Lexington and Concord, rebel soldiers believed they could hold their own against one of the

world's most powerful armies because of the battle's low death toll. According to historians,

American-British tensions reached a boiling point in Lexington and Concord. American

discontent over their representation in London's administration was the source of these demands.

The conflict took place in Lexington and Concord, two small towns in the British colonies.

Notably, seizing firearms and powder kept in Concord would deter unrest. Captain Parker's

militia awaited the army' arrival in Lexington, where they waited to greet them. They all jumped

up and down in fear when they heard a shot, and the fight began. The conflict had its

significance, such as the liberation of the United States from British colonial rule. Still, it also

had its effects, including the deaths, displacement, and homelessness of a large number of

people.

6
Judith Peacock, The Battles of Lexington and Concord (Taylor & Francis US, 2002)
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Bibliography

Daughan, George C. Lexington and Concord: The Battle Heard Round the World. W. W.

Norton, 2018.

Fleming, Thomas. The Strategy of Victory: How General George Washington Won the

American Revolution. Da Capo Press, 2017.

Lemire, Elise. Battle Green Vietnam: The 1971 March on Concord, Lexington, and Boston.

Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press, 2021.

Peacock, Judith. The Battles of Lexington and Concord. Taylor & Francis US, 2002.

Ramey, Rosie. American Revolution: The Split History Of The Battles Of Lexington And

Concord: What Caused The American Revolution. Independently Published, 2021.

Rapp, William E. Accomplishing the Impossible: Leadership That Launched Revolutionary

Change. Knox Press, 2021.

Savas, Theodore P., and J. D. Dameron. A Guide to the Battles of the American Revolution.

Savas Beatie, 2006.