Which event marked the beginning of the American Revolutionary War?

The Battles of Lexington and Concord are significant because they represent the first military engagements of the American Revolutionary War, taking place on April 19, 1775. These battles marked the transition from political tension and protest to armed conflict between the Thirteen Colonies and Great Britain. The confrontations were sparked by British attempts to seize colonial military supplies, and the phrase "the shot heard 'round the world" refers to this pivotal moment when the colonists faced British troops. This event galvanized support for independence and united the colonies against British rule, making it a foundational moment in the struggle for American independence.

The Boston Tea Party, while important in showcasing colonial dissent against British taxation, occurred in 1773 and did not directly initiate armed conflict. The Signing of the Declaration of Independence, which formally declared the colonies' independence from Britain, took place in 1776, after the war had already begun. The French and Indian War was a conflict leading up to the Revolutionary War that shaped colonial politics and taxation but did not mark the beginning of the fighting between the colonists and British forces.