What happened during the battle of Lexington?

The Battle of Lexington, together with that of Concord, kicked off the American Revolutionary War. It began very early in the morning of April 19 1775, around 77 of the colonial minutemen, so -called because they needed only a minute to get ready to fight, were summoned to Lexington Green and awaited an advance of around 240 British soldiers. Both sides to stood face each other and the British commander said to the minutemen: "Throw...

The Battle of Lexington, together with that of Concord, kicked off the American Revolutionary War. It began very early in the morning of April 19 1775, around 77 of the colonial minutemen, so -called because they needed only a minute to get ready to fight, were summoned to Lexington Green and awaited an advance of around 240 British soldiers. Both sides to stood face each other and the British commander said to the minutemen: "Throw down your arms! Ye villains, ye rebels!" The minutemen were then ordered by their leaders to disperse when, suddenly, came the sound of a bullet. Historians still do not know who fired this shot but it became known as the 'shot heard around the world' - the signal of the start of the American Revolutionary War.

The shot prompted more shooting and, by the time the smoke cleared, eight of the Americans were dead and another nine lay wounded on the ground. Only one British soldier was wounded. 

This skirmish was brought to an end as the British marched off to nearby Concord, to meet up with other regiments who had joined the fight.