Which battles are traditionally considered the first battles of the American Revolutionary War?

Which battles are traditionally considered the first battles of the American Revolutionary War?

• A. Battle of Lexington and Concord
• B. Battle of Bunker Hill
• C. Battle of Saratoga
• D. Battle of Yorktown

Answer: (A)

The beginning of the Revolutionary War is marked by the first armed clashes between colonial militias and British troops. These clashes happened on April 19, 1775, in Massachusetts, at Lexington and at Concord as British forces moved to seize colonial military stores. The quick confrontations and the famous “shot heard round the world” symbolize the moment when protests and political disagreement turned into open warfare, so they’re traditionally recognized as the first battles of the war. The Battle of Bunker Hill came a little later, in June 1775, and while it showed that the colonists could stand up to the British, it did not mark the start of the fighting. Saratoga and Yorktown occurred later in the war (1777 and 1781) and are remembered for turning points and final victory, not for the war’s beginnings.

The beginning of the Revolutionary War is marked by the first armed clashes between colonial militias and British troops. These clashes happened on April 19, 1775, in Massachusetts, at Lexington and at Concord as British forces moved to seize colonial military stores. The quick confrontations and the famous “shot heard round the world” symbolize the moment when protests and political disagreement turned into open warfare, so they’re traditionally recognized as the first battles of the war.

The Battle of Bunker Hill came a little later, in June 1775, and while it showed that the colonists could stand up to the British, it did not mark the start of the fighting. Saratoga and Yorktown occurred later in the war (1777 and 1781) and are remembered for turning points and final victory, not for the war’s beginnings.