The 'shot heard 'round the world': The Battles of Lexington and Concord in the American Revolution

The term “the shot heard 'round the world”, as famously coined by Ralph Waldo Emerson, describes the opening salvo of the American Revolutionary War, marking the beginning of armed conflict between the Kingdom of Great Britain and its thirteen American colonies.

The Background

The battles of Lexington and Concord occurred on April 19, 1775, in Middlesex County, Province of Massachusetts Bay, within the towns of Lexington, Concord, Lincoln, Menotomy (present-day Arlington), and Cambridge. This conflict was a direct result of the growing tensions between the British government and the American colonists following events like the Boston Tea Party and the Suffolk Resolves.

Pre-Conflict Developments and Preparations

Following the Boston Tea Party, in late 1774, colonial leaders adopted the Suffolk Resolves to resist the British parliament's alterations to the Massachusetts colonial government. As a response, the colonial assembly established a provisionary government called the Massachusetts Provincial Congress, and called for local militias to prepare for possible hostilities. By February 1775, the British government declared Massachusetts to be in a state of rebellion, taking this step to escalate their response to the tensions.

The British Covert Mission and Colonial Response

On April 18, 1775, approximately 700 British Army regulars under the command of Lieutenant Colonel Francis Smith were dispatched from Boston to capture and destroy colonial military supplies reportedly stored by the Massachusetts militia in Concord. This mission was initially to be carried out by water, but when it became clear that their plans were compromised, they decided to march to Concord by land.

Colonial Patriots, through effective intelligence gathering, learned of the impending British expedition and moved most of the supplies to other locations. On the night before the battle, riders like strong>Paul Revere and strong>Samuel Prescott spread the word about British plans by delivering warnings throughout the area.

The Battles of Lexington and Concord

On the morning of April 19, 1775, the first shots were fired as British troops marched towards Lexington. Despite the small number of patriot militiamen present at Lexington (about 78 men), they were outnumbered and had to retreat, leading the British to continue their march to Concord.

As the British arrived in Concord, a group of approximately 400 militiamen engaged 100 British regulars from three companies. Gunfire erupted at about 11:00 AM and continued as the British forces searched for military supplies, retreating to Concord's North Bridge. After the initial skirmish, more militia members arrived, leading to increased clashes between the two sides as the British marched back towards Boston.

Reinforcements commanded by Brigadier General Hugh Percy, who would later be styled the Duke of Northumberland, arrived in the afternoon to assist the British forces. Despite heavy fire, the combined British force officially returned to Boston under a tactical withdrawal. This event marked the start of the Siege of Boston.

Legacy and Symbolism

On April 19, 1837, 62 years after the event, Ralph Waldo Emerson delivered his Concord Hymn. In his poem, he highlighted the significance of the first shot fired at the North Bridge in Concord, encapsulated in the line: ‘The shot heard 'round the world’.

Emerson's poem, 'Concord Hymn', further captured the spirit of the day and the independence movement:

By the rude bridge that arched the flood,
Their flag to April's breeze unfurled;
Here once the embattled farmers stood,
And fired the shot heard 'round the world.

Conclusion

The battles of strong>Lexington and Concord symbolize the beginning of the American Revolutionary War. They marked a critical turning point that would eventually lead to the independence of the Thirteen Colonies from British rule.