Old North Bridge

On the morning of April 19, 1775, after clearing the town of Lexington and arriving in Concord, three companies of British light infantry began advancing toward the North Bridge. Two of the companies guarded the bridge while the third marched further to the farm of Colonel James Barrett, head of the local militia and suspected of illegally storing munitions on his property. While the British soldiers investigated the Barrett property, events moved toward a climax around the North Bridge.

At approximately 9:30 am, after witnessing what was perceived as the burning of the town—in actuality the British soldiers were then trying to put out a fire that had unintentionally been started—the militia and minutemen commanded by Col. James Barrett began moving down Punkatasset Hill toward the two British companies guarding the bridge. Although the colonial forces numbered close to 400 men and faced only 90 British soldiers, shots were fired and two of the Massachusetts citizens were struck and killed as they approached the North Bridge. The proverbial “shot heard 'round the world,” or shots more accurately, had been fired. The American Revolution thus began.