19th April 1775: The Battles of Lexington and Concord mark the beginning of the American Revolutionary War

As the British troops arrived in Lexington, they encountered a small group and, although the exact events that unfolded are unclear, a shot was fired that initiated the first skirmish of the American Revolutionary War.

18th April 1775: Paul Revere rides from Charleston to Lexington with his message that “the Regulars are coming out!”

Whether Revere referred to the approaching army as ‘regulars’ or ‘Redcoats’ is unclear, but his cry had the intended consequence of signalling the march of troops towards the Massachusetts village of Concord.