The United States declared its independence from Great Britain 250 years ago, but the flashpoint of the Revolutionary War which led to the Declaration of Independence happened when British forces marched to seize the colonists’ arms.
Thomas Gage, serving as the British commander in Boston and royal governor of Massachusetts, acted on intelligence about stockpiled rebel arms, ammunition, artillery and provisions in Concord, Massachusetts. The goal was to disrupt preparations for armed resistance or rebellion following the Coercive Acts, which led to “the shot heard around the world” during the Battle of Lexington and Concord on April 19, 1775.