The Battles of Lexington and Concord, fought on April 19, 1775, marked the armed beginning of the American Revolutionary War. That was 250 years and 2 days ago…a point in history that is incredible.
Technically the battles were fought in Middlesex County in colonial Massachusetts; including the towns of Lexington, Concord, Lincoln, Menotomy, and Cambridge. And these battles, starting with Lexington, are considered the official start of the armed American fight for independence from the oppression and tyranny of the British Empire.
What was the reason that the hostilities broke out on that day in those places between British soldiers and local militias? Gun rights mostly, but also the right of people to defend themselves. Let’s put it into more modern terms to help understand the context of the war’s beginning.
Local militias were made up of local (community, town, village) residents. These militias were designed mostly to protect local residents from criminals and Indians. Militia members were armed with modern weapons of their day, muskets, shotguns (fowling piece), pistols, knives, swords, and tomahawks. Militias were mostly found outside of large cities.
The British Empire Army was professional and full-time; their job was to act as agents of the British King protecting colonial America from the French and Indians. The British Army also functioned as a law enforcement agency; more precisely, they were what we would consider federal law enforcement such as the ATF, DEA, FBI, IRS, etc. At the time the British army was the largest, best armed, and most professional and effective fighting force in the world.
The Battle of Lexington was not a surprise at the time; there was no sudden outbreak of armed conflict between Colonial Patriots and the British Army. The “conflict” had been going on for decades…but left mostly to politicians. The oppression and tyranny of the British government, primarily through taxation and regulations/laws, had been steadily increasing. And the more that the colonists tried to work out a reasonable solution with the British government, the more regulations and taxation was heaped upon the colonialists by the British Empire.
The British also noticed that the strength and numbers of local militias was growing, and the British rulers felt these militias 
began to challenge the ability of the British army to act as law enforcement and control the people. The actual Battle of Lexington wasn’t much of a battle, more like a slaughter. 700 – 800 British soldiers showed up in the small town of Lexington, the local militia company of about 77 men gathered to represent the town and show defiance against the British operation. Why “defiance”?
The British didn’t like the idea of people defending their own towns, protecting themselves from criminals and Indians…and defying the edicts issued by the British government. The British government decided it was time that the militias were disbanded and people disarmed, and this British law enforcement action was the start of it.
In modern terms it would be like a combined force of heavily armed ATF and FBI SWAT teams showing up to take guns away from the local population…and the local residents saying “no” and showing up to show their defiance. And it is important to know, vital actually, the militia members were under strict orders from their leaders to not fire on the British unless they were fired upon first. Meaning, they were only to defend themselves if the British started to kill them.
Well, the British wouldn’t stand for this challenge against their power and authority…the British soldiers opened fire and left 10% of the militia members dead on the town’s green. More militia members were injured but escaped. Later, some of those injured were found by British soldiers and either shot or stabbed to death with bayonets.
Immediately the call went out to other towns and communities that the British had started the war that later would be know 
as the Fight for Independence…or more commonly known as the American Revolution. Throughout the day, April 19th, running battles between the British Army and locals militias took place. The British paid a heavy price that day with their blood, and they realized they had awakened a spirit of patriotism and determination they didn’t 
expect.
The war for American independence raged for almost a decade till the Colonialists finally won. They won against all odds, defeated the greatest, most powerful, largest, most professional, full-time army in the world. Our fore-fathers won because they had grit, they had courage, they had a burning desire to be free of tyranny, oppression, free from crushing laws/regulations, and free from debilitating taxes.
These brave men and women wanted to control their own lives, not suffer at the hands of a government whose lust for power and money made the people suffer. “We the People” was born!
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