The 1775 Battles of Lexington and Concord marked the start of American independence. 250 years later, on April 19, 2025, American residents gathered once again on the Lexington Battle Green to commemorate the birth of American democracy.

The story of American liberty began years before the first battle of the Revolution. Ten years prior, colonists had already begun engaging in various protests against British policies, most notably the boycott of British goods in response to the Stamp Act and the Boston Tea Party in response to the Tea Act. Tensions continued to rise, ultimately resulting in Royal Governor of Massachusetts Thomas Gage ordering British troops from Boston to seize the colonists’ weaponry. Colonist Joseph Warren detected Gage’s plan and sent riders Paul Revere and William Dawes to warn the colonial militia. By dawn on April 19th, a group of militiamen were readily waiting for the British in Lexington.

At about 5:00 a.m., Captain John Parker stood with roughly 70 men against troops multiple times their size. Parker ordered his men not to fire unless fired upon first; regardless, a shot rang out, and by the end of the skirmish, eight colonists lay dead. 

Contrary to popular belief, the statue in Lexington’s Battle Green is one of Parker, not Paul Revere. Despite the losses suffered in Lexington, Parker’s men bought ample time for other militiamen to assemble.

“When [the British] got to Concord, 400 men had mustered. By the time they finished their retreat to Boston, 4,000 had attacked their lines. In the following days, 20,000 gathered to begin the Siege of Boston, fight the Battle of Bunker Hill, and eventually win the War for Independence,” Maura Healey, governor of Massachusetts, said. 

In fact, it was in Concord where the “shot heard round the world,” a term penned by American essayist Ralph Waldo Emerson, was fired. It was also in Concord where the British realized they were outnumbered and began their retreat.

Riders like Revere and Dawes played key roles in alerting minutemen from not just Massachusetts, but also New Hampshire and Connecticut, to fire at the retreating British. Even Parker’s men had reassembled and marched to Minute Man Park, an action that was depicted for the first time in this year’s battle reenactment. Together, the colonists nearly completely obstructed the British’s withdrawal.

“If [British reinforcements] reinforcements had not come, it’s not clear [the British] would have made it all the way back to Boston,” Paul Fortmann, a reenactor for Paul Revere, said regarding the events on April 19th.

Underrepresented groups also joined in the revolutionary cause. The combined effort of American residents was what eventually led to American independence. 

“Black and Indigenous soldiers fought for a freedom they would long be denied. Women were vital as spies and strategists. Everyone played their part,” Healey said.