Battles of Lexington and Concord facts for kids

Quick facts for kidsBattles of Lexington and Concord
	Part of the American Revolutionary War
	; Depiction of the Battle of Lexington by William Barnes Wollen, 1910
Date	April 19, 1775; 245 years ago
Location	Middlesex County, Massachusetts
Result	Strategic American victory British forces succeed in destroying cannon and supplies in Concord; Militia successfully drive British back to Boston; Start of the American Revolutionary War;
Belligerents
Massachusetts Bay	Great Britain
Commanders and leaders
John Parker; James Barrett; John Buttrick; John Robinson; William Heath; Joseph Warren; Isaac Davis †	Francis Smith; John Pitcairn (WIA); Hugh Percy
Strength
Lexington: 77; Concord: 400; End of Battle: 3,960	Departing Boston: 700; Lexington: 400; Concord: 100; End of Battle: 1,500
Casualties and losses
49 killed; 39 wounded; 5 missing	73 killed; 174 wounded; 53 missing

The Battles of Lexington and Concord were the first battles of the American Revolutionary War. The battles were between British soldiers, who wanted to take away the colonists' weapons and arrest John Hancock and Samuel Adams on the way to Concord, and American colonists on April 19, 1775. They were fought in towns outside Boston, Massachusetts. These towns are Lexington, Massachusetts and Concord, Massachusetts. The Patriots found out long before it happened and safely evacuated the place.

The first battle was fought on Lexington Green in Lexington. General Gage, along with 700 British soldiers, marched there to find and destroy hidden weapons. However, they were met by 70 minutemen. The battle lasted only a few minutes, but 8 minutemen died and 9 were hurt. Only 1 British soldier had been injured, then the soldiers went to Concord to seize supplies such as food, guns, and ammunition stored by the militia. On the way back to Boston, they were ambushed by 400 minutemen. This time, Britain lost 250 soldiers, while only 90 Americans died.

Interesting facts about the Battles of Lexington and Concord

Depiction of Revere's ride

The Midnight Ride by Paul Revere was to alert the American colonial militia in April 1775 of the approach of British forces before the battles of Lexington and Concord. He didn't shout out “The British are coming!” as some history books say, as he was on a secret mission.
Paul Revere wasn't the only one trying to warn the Americans. William Dawes, and Samuel Prescott also road to Concord. Both Revere and Dawes were captured. Only Samuel Prescott made it to Concord with the warning.
The "shot heard round the world" is a famous phrase that refers to the opening shot of the battles of Lexington and Concord on April 19, 1775, which began the American Revolutionary War.
The battles lasted about 4 hours.

Images for kids

Statue memorializing the battle at the North Bridge, inscribed with verse from Emerson's "Concord Hymn"
Silversmith Paul Revere and several other messengers on horseback sounded the alarm that the regulars were leaving Boston.
A National Park Service map showing the routes of the initial Patriot messengers and of the British expedition
1775 map of the battles and of the Siege of Boston
$20 National Bank Note
The first of four engravings by Amos Doolittle from 1775. Doolittle visited the battle sites and interviewed soldiers and witnesses. Contains controversial elements, possibly inaccuracies. Fire from the militia may have occurred but is not depicted.
The second of four engravings by Amos Doolittle from 1775, depicting the British entering Concord
The reconstructed North Bridge in Minute Man National Historical Park, Concord
The third of four engravings by Amos Doolittle from 1775, depicting the engagement at the North Bridge
A National Park Service map showing the retreat from Concord and Percy's rescue
This statue known as The Lexington Minuteman is commonly believed to depict Captain John Parker. It is by Henry Hudson Kitson and stands at the town green of Lexington, Massachusetts.
The fourth of four engravings by Amos Doolittle from 1775, showing Percy's rescue in Lexington
Percy's return to Charlestown (detail from 1775 map of the battle)
The Jason Russell House in Arlington
The Siege of Boston 1775–1776
Gravemarkers along Battle Road in Lexington are maintained with Britain's 1775 version of the Union Flag.
Daniel Chester French's The Minute Man, 1874
1970 Franklin Mint medallion commemorating Lexington and Concord 1775
A citizen of Acton and Members of the Acton Fife and Drum Corps march to Concord on the Isaac Davis Trail during the 2016 annual Patriots' Day celebration.