![]() Historians agree that the disorderly conduct of the British regulars was the spark that ignited the conflict. The Mystery of the “Shot Heard Round The World” In the Revolutionary War The Minute Man statue by Daniel Chester French, 1875, via Minute Man National Historical Park, Concord The British forces instinctively responded with a volley, even though they weren’t ordered to do so. ![]() Neither party wanted a gunfight, but the commotion and shouting that followed led to one of the rifles going off. This was precisely what John Parker had in mind and ordered his men to disperse. Namely, Major John Pitcairn, who was in charge of the British troops, turned to Lexington Common and ordered the rebels to put down their weapons. The events that ensued weren’t heroic nor romantic but rather confusing. Nevertheless, they stood by the roadside fully armed in an act of defiance against the most powerful military force in the world at the time. It must be noted that they did not block the road to Concord per se. Captain John Parker led them as they poured into the village common to meet the British. In order to reach Concord, the British troops had to pass Lexington, where a group of minutemen assembled during the morning. 1909, via Library of Congress, Washington DC British Troops March Into the Revolutionary War Battle of Bunker Hill by Moran E. ![]()
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