Which side took the first shot in the battle of lexington and concord?

Answer 1

A British officer ordered the militia to drop their weapons and disperse. They did begin to disperse, but they didn’t drop their weapons, and then from somewhere a shot was fired. To this day, no one is certain where the shot came from. It may have been from the British lines; it almost certainly wasn’t from the Lexington militia. It may have been from a bystander, or it may have been an accidental misfire. Whatever its origin, that first shot started the British soldiers firing, without orders, into the dispersing militia. When the smoke cleared from those very few minutes of confusion, eight Lexington militiamen had been killed and nine wounded.

Answer 2

At Lexington no one knows, there was a report by one eye witness that it sounded more like a pistol shot than a musket.

If John Hancock and Sam Adams were hiding in a house there, as has also been speculated, mightn't one of them have discharged a pistol, leading both sides to believe they were under fire?

This is pure speculation, but even an accidental discharge would preserve the sworn testimony of the Militia commander and the reputation of the Royal Marines for discipline.

Answer 3

14 responses to the moment, and astonishingly, no one has noted the fact that there were really two separate battles, one at Lexington and the other, very soon afterward, at Concord . Historians refer to the battles (plural) of L and C, not one battle.

No one knows who fired the first shot.

Answer 4

John Parker, Commander of the Militia in Lexington, gave a sworn deposition that he had ordered his men to allow the British to pass and that the British had charged his forces, firing on them and killing a number of them before the Colonials returned fire.

Answer 5

It is unknown to who shot the first shot, British or Patriots, but nevertheless The Revolutionary War did break out because of that single gunshot, known as "the shot heard around the world."

Answer 6

the shot heard round the world ,noone noes who fired the first shot but under command (dont shoot unless fired upon )both sides fired back and the shot actually could of been a nearby nieghbor even

Answer 7

No one knows for sure. Some say us and some say the British. Good Luck

Answer 8

ther first shot was by the british but it may well have been just powder and no ball as reported in this first hand account.

http://www.eyewitnesstohistory.com/lexington.htm

Answer 9

The British or the Huns.

Answer 10

I thought that know one knew who did it? I think I remeber the teacher syong that both sides blamed each other or somethig...not sure