What event sparked the start of the American Revolution?

The battles of Lexington and Concord are considered the event that sparked the start of the American Revolution because they represented the first open military confrontation between the colonies and British forces on April 19, 1775. These battles served as a clear signal that the conflict over British rule and colonial autonomy had escalated beyond political dialogue to armed resistance. The confrontations at Lexington, where "the shot heard 'round the world" was fired, and Concord, where colonial militias engaged British troops, ignited widespread revolutionary fervor and mobilization among the colonies.

Other options pertain to significant events in the lead-up to the Revolutionary War. For instance, the Boston Tea Party was a protest against British taxation policies but occurred after tensions had already built up. The signing of the Declaration of Independence marked the formal assertion of independence in 1776, rather than the beginning of the conflict itself. The Intolerable Acts were punitive measures imposed by Britain in reaction to colonial unrest, further escalating tensions but already following the initial military confrontations. Thus, while those events are part of the broader narrative of the American Revolution, it was the conflict at Lexington and Concord that set the revolutionary war in motion.