Battles of Lexington and Concord occur.

In Lexington, the British troops from Boston make an unsuccessful attempt to capture Colonial military supplies, while Capt. John Parker, commanding the Colonial forces, reputedly tells his troops, “Don’t fire unless fired upon. But if they mean to have a war, let it begin here.” The British are also unsuccessful in Concord, then harassed by the Colonials as they retreat to Boston. Over the course of the day, 73 British soldiers are killed and 200 are wounded, compared to 49 Colonists killed and 49 wounded. Fighting ends in 1781,* and the war, initially called the Common Cause, officially ends in 1783.*