Trump declares April 19 a day of commemoration for battles of Lexington and Concord, 'shot heard around the world'

President Donald J. Trump has officially proclaimed April 19, 2025, as a day of commemoration to mark the 250th anniversary of the Battles of Lexington and Concord, recognizing the start of the American Revolutionary War.

“Two and a half centuries ago, a small band of minutemen answered the call of freedom in the legendary Battles of Lexington and Concord, an epic tale of American strength and the first major armed conflict of the Revolutionary War,” the proclamation reads.

The announcement recalls the increasing tensions between the American colonies and the British Crown in the years leading up to the war, citing events such as the Boston Massacre, the Intolerable Acts, and taxation without representation. In response to growing oppression, colonial militias formed as a last resort to defend the principle of self-governance.

“The British regime’s reign of tyranny reached a breaking point when, in his fearless midnight ride from Boston, Massachusetts, Paul Revere announced the news that the Redcoats were marching to Concord, Massachusetts, to arrest Colonial leaders and seize American arms,” Trump states in the proclamation.

The document highlights the confrontation in Lexington at dawn on April 19, 1775, when 77 American minutemen, led by Captain John Parker, stood against British troops. The resulting gunfire left eight Americans dead—the first casualties in the fight for American independence.

“The British ambush at Lexington became known as the ‘shot heard ’round the world,’ prompting thousands of brave young men to leave behind their homes and livelihoods to fight for our freedom on the frontlines of the American Revolution,” the statement reads.

Later that morning, the battle escalated in Concord, where British troops clashed with colonial forces at the North Bridge. Captain Isaac Davis and Major John Buttrick led militiamen into combat, with Buttrick reportedly shouting, “Fire, fellow soldiers, for God’s sake, fire!” The confrontation forced British troops to retreat back to Boston.

The proclamation calls the victory in Concord a pivotal moment in American history and honors the courage of those who fought that day.

“April 19, 1775, stands to this day as a seminal milestone in our Nation’s righteous crusade for liberty and independence,” it reads. “Two and a half centuries later, their fortitude remains our inheritance, their resolve remains our birthright, and their unwavering loyalty to God and country remains the duty of every American patriot.”

“NOW, THEREFORE, I, DONALD J. TRUMP, President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim April 19, 2025, as a day in commemoration of the 250th anniversary of the Battles of Lexington and Concord and the beginning of the American Revolutionary War.”