The significant battle that took place on April 19, 1775, is the Battle of Lexington and Concord. This confrontation marked the beginning of open hostilities in the American Revolutionary War. British troops aimed to seize colonial arms stored in Concord, but colonial militias were alerted by Paul Revere and others. The skirmish at Lexington was the first military engagement between British soldiers and American colonists, followed by a larger confrontation in Concord. These battles galvanized colonial resistance and led to the mobilization of militias throughout New England, paving the way for a broader movement toward independence from British rule.