The event that sparked British military intervention in the American colonies, marking the beginning of the Revolutionary War, was the Battles of Lexington and Concord in April 1775. Tensions had been escalating over British taxation policies and restrictions on colonial governance. British troops were dispatched to confiscate colonial military supplies stored in Concord, which prompted local militias to mobilize. The first shots fired in Lexington resulted in the deaths of several colonial militias. This confrontation galvanized colonial resistance, leading to widespread calls for independence. The subsequent engagements at Concord marked the start of armed conflict, ultimately culminating in the American Revolution and the quest for independence from British rule.