Revolutionary War: The Shot Heard 'Round the World (PDF)
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1775
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Summary
The 'shot heard round the world' marked the start of the American Revolutionary War in 1775. Militia members fought the British army in Lexington and Concord, Massachusetts. The battle highlighted the colonists' determination to fight for independence from British rule. This crucial event led to a significant shift in the global political landscape.
Full Transcript
The Shot Heard ‘Round the World I t was April 19. 1775. In Lexington, a town on theroad to Concord, 80 militiamen lined up in formation. They had their guns with them, but they were not planning to fire on the redcoats. After all, a war had not been declared. Still, they knew th...
The Shot Heard ‘Round the World I t was April 19. 1775. In Lexington, a town on theroad to Concord, 80 militiamen lined up in formation. They had their guns with them, but they were not planning to fire on the redcoats. After all, a war had not been declared. Still, they knew there was a chance fighting might break out, and they wanted to be ready if they did. s the British approached, John Parker, the leader of the Lexington militia, told his men, A “Stand your ground; don’t fire unless fired upon, but if they mean to have a war, let it begin here.” A British officer told the armed men to go home. According to one report, he shouted, “Lay down your arms, you rebels!” However, as the militiamen were turning to go, a shot rang out. ho fired that shot? Even today nobody knows for sure. The British soldiers thought the W militiamen fired it. However, Parker and his men said later that they did not. The shot may have been fired by someone who was not part of Parker’s militia. He may have been firing into the air to sound an alarm. In any case, the soldiers thought they were under attack. They fired a volley and - in a matter of seconds - guns were flashing and smoking on both sides. even members of the militia were killed in Lexington that day, and nine more were S wounded. On the other side, only one British soldier was wounded. ext, the British soldiers marched on Concord. They searched Concord and found a few N cannons and some musket balls. By this time, word of the fighting was spreading rapidly. Hundreds of men made their way to Concord, ready to fight. One troop of militiamen met the regulars on the outskirts of Concord at North Bridge. The British fired. The militiamen fired back. oon the British commander decided to march his troops back to Boston. However, as the S British soldiers made their way back, militiamen shot at them. The militiamen hid behind trees and stone walls. They fired on the British soldiers, one or two at a time. By the time the British made it back to Boston that night, 73 soldiers had been killed and another 174 had been wounded. As for the colonists, 49 had died and 39 had been wounded. The colonists had stood up to the British, and the British has failed to capture Samuel Adams and John Hancock. There was no going back - the Revolutionary War had begun!
