Which event marks the beginning of the American Revolutionary War?

The Battles of Lexington and Concord mark the beginning of the American Revolutionary War, occurring on April 19, 1775. These battles were significant as they represented the first military engagements between the thirteen American colonies and British troops. The skirmishes signaled the transition from political tensions and protests against British rule—over issues such as taxation without representation—to armed conflict.

Prior to these battles, events like the Boston Tea Party had already escalated tensions, but they did not directly initiate war. The Signing of the Constitution occurred later, in 1787, during a time when the war had already concluded, while the Declaration of Independence was adopted in 1776, which formally stated the colonies' intentions to separate from British rule but came after the conflict had already begun. The battles thus represent the point at which rhetoric and resistance transformed into armed struggle, making them the definitive starting point of the war.