The Shot Heard Round The World

This Day in History

On this day in history in 1775, 77 brave colonists lined up just outside of Boston to face the notorious British army.  

Warned the night before by Paul Revere and William Dawes that the British planned to invade Concord, the Minutemen of Lexington were fiercely determined to defend their arsenals from the approaching enemy on the green. Unfortunately, the Minutemen were severely outnumbered. British Major John Pitcairn ordered the Patriots to surrender.

After a moment’s hesitation, the colonists slowly dispersed. What happened next is somewhat unclear whether the first shot came from the British side or not. Suddenly, a musket fired from an undetermined side and battle ensued. Out of the 77 American soldiers, 8 died and 10 were wounded. The British faired victors with just one fatality. 

The damage was done. The tensions had finally mounted to result in the first battle of the American Revolution. Later Ralph Waldo Emerson immortalized this moment in history in his poem “Concord Hymn,” by describing it as “the shot heard round the world.” Soon the Patriots discovered this significant moment was not a mere rebellious uprising, but the birth of a new country.

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