The skirmish was not real, but a reenactment of one of the key events in United States history — the battle that marked the beginning of the War of Independence 227 years ago. Patriot's Day, which is on the third Monday of April each year, commemorates the series of events that sparked the War — in particular that fateful morning of April 19, 1775, when ordinary Americans took to arms and stood in front of a British army of professional soldiers.

The battle that took place that morning was known as the Battle of Concord and Lexington, and it was the culmination of a long period of unrest in the British colonies in the New World. In 1775, Massachusetts was the most rebellious of the 13 colonies. In the fall before the Revolutionary War began, King George III had said, "blows must decide whether they are to be subject to this country or independent." He commanded English General Thomas Gage to use force to restore royal authority. Gage governed the colony and controlled the British garrison in Boston as well. When he discovered that the colonists were hoarding military supplies in Concord, he sent a 700-man detail to confiscate the munitions and to arrest John Hancock and Samuel Adams, members of the Continental Congress.

Under the command of Lieutenant Colonel Francis Smith, the British troops left Boston the night of April 18 and began the 16-mile march toward Concord. By dawn, the Redcoats had arrived in Lexington, where they were greeted by Militia Captain John Parker and his 77 men. Severely outnumbered, Parker had no intention of trying to stop the British. He simply intended to present a silent display of resolve.

The colonists were ordered to disperse. When they began doing so, a shot rang out. It was not clear which side fired. The British soldiers continued shooting at the fleeing militiamen, eight of whom were killed. That first single shot is called "the shot heard around the world." It was the symbolic start of the eight-year War for Independence in which colonists fought for the right to self-determination and the English struggled to maintain control of their colonies.

• Why was the shot heard around the world important to a worldwide audience?

On May 15, the Continental Congress voted to go to war and Colonel George Washington of Virginia was named commander-in-chief of the American forces.

Weapons of War
Militiamen carried bayonets and hatchets around their waists. They used smooth-bore barrel muskets similar to the ones the British had. These muskets had a severely limited range and, as a result, the space that separated the enemies was less than the width of a football field. The two sides were close enough to see each other's facial features. A well-trained soldier could only shoot three or four rounds per minute.

Fifes and drums served as the field radios of the day as they could be heard over gunshot and cannon fire. The musical instruments kept troops in step during marches and signaled when soldiers should load their weapons, fire, ceasefire, and retreat. In camp life, they sounded reveille, meal times, inspections, and water, food, and firewood collections. They also provided entertainment.

Myths about the Midnight Ride
We've all heard about the midnight ride of Paul Revere. Contrary to popular belief, the purpose of his famous ride was not to notify the countryside that the British were coming or to notify the people of Concord to hide their arms. Revere was actually a courier specifically hired to warn John Hancock and Samuel Adams that the British were marching and that the patriot leaders might be arrested upon the soldiers' arrival in Lexington.

After delivering his message, Revere was joined by another rider named William Dawes, who had been sent on the same errand via a different route. The two men decided on their own to ride to Concord and alert every household along the way that "The Regulars are coming out!" The British soldiers were not referred to as "the British" at this time because the colonists still saw themselves as British, too. Along the way, Dr. Samuel Prescott joined the two men. The trio came across a British roadblock near the town of Lincoln. Both Prescott and Dawes escaped, but Revere was arrested. Only Prescott made it to Concord to warn the citizens.

We can blame Henry Wadsworth Longfellow's famous poem, "Paul Revere's Ride," for Revere's exaggerated role in our history.

• View a map of the Midnight Ride.
• Read Henry Wadsworth Longfellow's poem, The Midnight Ride of Paul Revere, and Ralph Waldo Emerson's Hymn to Concord.