What event marked the beginning of the American Revolution?

The Battles of Lexington and Concord are widely recognized as the beginning of the American Revolution because they were the first military engagements between British troops and colonial militias. On April 19, 1775, these battles were sparked by rising tensions over British taxation without representation and the growing desire for independence among the American colonists. The confrontations at Lexington and Concord demonstrated the willingness of colonists to take up arms in defense of their rights and liberties, thereby marking the transition from political disagreement to armed conflict. This pivotal moment rallied many colonists to the cause of independence, setting the stage for the later developments of the Revolutionary War, including the Declaration of Independence, which formalized the colonies' break from British rule.

In contrast, events like the signing of the Declaration of Independence represent later stages of the Revolution rather than its outset, while the Boston Tea Party was a significant protest against British taxation that helped escalate tensions but did not directly initiate armed conflict. The end of the French and Indian War, while influential in creating tensions between Britain and its colonies, occurred several years before the first battles of the Revolution and was not in itself a catalyst for immediate conflict. Thus, the battles at Lexington and Concord are rightly recognized as the starting point of the Revolutionary War