The Revolutionary War began as a clash between Boston-area militia and British troops on the town green in Lexington, Massachusetts. The British commander in Boston, General Thomas Gage, was concerned about the possibility of an uprising in the area, and sent a large detachment of regulars to seize a store of gunpowder (and if possible to arrest several Patriot leaders on the way) in nearby Concord. News of Gage's plans spread quickly, and local militiamen, known as "minutemen" took up arms to resist. A group of militia formed on Lexington green, and when they refused to disperse, shots were fired that left several militia dead and British soldiers wounded. From there, the British proceeded to Concord, where they were stopped by a swarm of militia. They made their way back to Boston under fire from thousands of minutemen, suffering dozens of casualties. With the British in Boston, the militia surrounded the city, occupying high ground. This was the beginning of the Revolutionary War.
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