The American Revolution had many key aspects that affected the outcome of the war. Among these are the battles that were fought. The Battle of Lexington and Concord, in particular, had an extraordinary effect on the American Revolution, as it was the first battle, it showed what the colonists were capable of, and it also served as a definite statement that the American colonists were more opposed to Great Britain than ever before.
Seeing as the Battle of Lexington and Concord was the first real battle, it is definitely worth noting. Beforehand, nobody had taken any military action. However, the colonists were preparing for war, and were collecting weapons in the process. The British found out about this, and Lieutenant Colonel Francis Smith, under the orders of the governor Thomas Gage, was sent with 700 soldiers to destroy these weapons (Getchell). The British had been restricting the rights of the colonists, particularly with the Intolerable Acts, and they were determined to eliminate any chance of rebellious use of the weapons. The day before the battle, information was rapidly given to the militia (Logan). It is a popular myth that Paul Revere and the other riders shouted “the British are coming!” as they spread the word, but this is not the case; the colonists would be confused, seeing as they considered themselves to be British (Wood). Eventually, battle ensued the next day on April 19, 1775. A shot was fired, which Ralph Waldo Emerson would describe as “the shot heard ‘round the world” (History.com 2009). It is unknown who, exactly, fired the first shot (Getchell).
Despite the fact that it was the militiamen’s first battle, the colonist soldiers performed admirably. While the British killed only 49 militiamen and wounded 39, the colonists killed 73, wounded 174, and captured 53 British soldiers (Logan). Despite their poor marksmanship, the battle was ultimately a great moral boost for the colonists. Logan (n.d.) stated that, “…the main advantage the colonists enjoyed was in numbers” (Lexington to Menotomy section, para. 6). Thanks to their overwhelming numbers, the militiamen were able to overpower the British in this battle. Seeing as the Boston militiamen had done their job well, Second Continental Congress picked them up, along with several other militias to help form the Continental Army (Getchell). Additionally, the battle helped to convince major Revolutionary War figures Benedict Arnold and Ethan Allen to join the cause (Wood). These two people would make incredible contributions to the war, contributing to a good amount of their victory (until Benedict Arnold would betray later on).
The colonists did a rather remarkable job of defeating the British at Lexington and Concord, which delivered their message quite well. They wanted nothing to do with Britain’s “Intolerable Acts.” The people of Boston had been preparing for war, and for good reason, too. They had been storing weapons and, according to Getchell (n.d.), “…had established a fairly effective intelligence network…” They had been scheming and planning a good while before the battle ever took place. On top of that, they had also done the Boston Tea Party, which is part of the reason why the Intolerable Acts were put into place. The fact that they would go even farther than the Boston Tea Party in their opposition, with the risk of getting even more restraining acts, is an admirably bold move. They stood firm in their protection of the military supplies, and Captain John Parker stated that, “if they mean to have a war, let it begin here” (Getchell). This showed that the colonists would not back down from their position and truly desired freedom from Britain.
The Battle of Lexington and Concord proved to both the colonists and the British that the militiamen were a formidable foe, and that they were determined to prevail. This first battle brought the war into this world. It was one of the first pieces to fall in the domino effect. It changed the way that Britain and America would interact, and the colonists. The Battle of Lexington and Concord left a legacy that is not to be forgotten. It truly is one of the most important battles of the American Revolutionary War.