LEXINGTON AND CONCORD

the first battles of the American Revolution . On 19 April 1775, a British armed force of about 700 men marched from Boston to destroy American military weapons at the town of Concord, Massachusetts . The British were stopped at Lexington by 70 Minutemen , eight of whom were killed in the battle. They then marched to Concord for another battle in which they lost many more men than the Americans and were forced back. This greatly encouraged American hopes for the war.