Bloody Work: Lexington and Concord 1775

On the late evening of April 18, 1775, more than 840 elite British soldiers were ordered to destroy arms, ammunition, and military supplies stockpiled by American colonists outside Boston. This mission led to a confrontation with armed American Minutemen at Lexington, sparking the first gunfire of the American Revolution. The Clements Library’s online exhibit, Bloody Work: Lexington and Concord 1775, offers an in-depth look at the early months of the conflict. Explore centuries-old maps, correspondence, and photographs to better understand the events that ignited an eight-year war between the British Empire and its American colonies.