Advanced Placement US History (AP US History) Practice Exam

The event in 1775 that is most often associated with the beginning of organized colonial resistance against Britain is the Battles of Lexington and Concord. This confrontation marked the first military engagements of the American Revolutionary War and symbolized a shift from peaceful protest to armed conflict.

The skirmishes that took place on April 19, 1775, were fueled by tensions arising from British attempts to suppress colonial self-governance and control. The battles galvanized the colonies, signifying that armed resistance was a viable option in their struggle against British authority. The "shot heard 'round the world" at Lexington has come to represent the decisive moment when the colonists took up arms in defense of their rights and liberties.

While the Boston Tea Party and the First Continental Congress were significant events leading up to this conflict, they did not involve direct military action. The Boston Tea Party was a protest against taxation without representation, and the First Continental Congress convened to address colonial grievances and organize resistance. The Declaration of Independence, signed in 1776, declared the colonies' independence but was a result of the conflicts that had already been set in motion by events like the Battles of Lexington and Concord.