Skip to main content
Back to Show
The American Revolution

The Shot Heard ’Round the World: Lexington, Concord and the Start of War

The Patriots catch wind of a secret British plan to move troops from Boston into Concord and they dispatch William Dawes and Paul Revere to warn other Patriots that the British are coming. The British attack a Patriot force in Lexington, but they are overwhelmed by hundreds of militiamen pouring in from the countryside and forced to retreat to Boston. The American Revolution has begun.

Support Provided By
The Most Sacred Thing (May 1780 – Onward)
Unlock with PBS Passport
2:10:41
Victory at Yorktown secures independence. Americans aspire for a more perfect union.
The Soul of All America (December 1777 – May 1780)
Unlock with PBS Passport
1:53:53
The war drags on and moves to new theaters: at sea, in Indian Country, and in the South.
Conquer by a Drawn Game (January 1777 – February 1778)
Unlock with PBS Passport
1:55:38
Philadelphia falls, but the American victory at Saratoga allows France to enter the war.
The Times That Try Men’s Souls (July 1776 – January 1777)
Unlock with PBS Passport
1:54:35
Washington abandons New York City and flees across New Jersey, before attacking Trenton.
An Asylum for Mankind (May 1775 – July 1776)
Unlock with PBS Passport
2:04:18
Washington takes command of the Continental Army. Congress declares American independence.
In Order to Be Free (May 1754 – May 1775)
Unlock with PBS Passport
1:56:09
Political protest escalates into violence. War gives thirteen colonies a common cause.
Active loading indicator