The first major conflict during the American Revolutionary War was the Battles of Lexington and Concord, fought on April 19, 1775. These battles marked the outbreak of hostilities between the American colonies and British forces. The skirmishes were sparked by British attempts to seize colonial military supplies and arrest revolutionary leaders. "The shot heard 'round the world," a phrase often associated with the engagements, symbolizes the beginning of the war for independence. The confrontations galvanized colonial resistance against British rule and initiated a series of battles that eventually led to the Declaration of Independence and the formation of the United States.