Jim McMahon/Mapman®
It was April 19, 1775. About 70 American fighters had gathered in Lexington, Massachusetts. Minutes later, roughly 100 British soldiers marched into town. They were called Redcoats because of the color of their uniforms. A gunshot rang out. Soon eight Americans were dead. The war for America’s independence had begun.
At the time, the United States did not yet exist. America was made up of 13 Colonies. They were ruled by Great Britain. Many American colonists did not like living under British rule. By 1775, they were fed up.