# "When the British fired in the early dawn, the war of independence had begun" **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [August 25, 2002, 1:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-the-british-fired-in-the-early-dawn-the-war-of-independence-had-begun/125486 "2002-08-25T13:26:21Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![kanicbird](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/5f8ce5/32.png) [@kanicbird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kanicbird)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2002, 1:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-the-british-fired-in-the-early-dawn-the-war-of-independence-had-begun/125486/1 "2002-08-25T13:26:21Z")
- School House Rock I was always taught that we don’t know who fired the 1st shot in the WoI. Is this the case? Even though it doesn’t state that the Brits fired 1st it sort of implies it. ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2002, 3:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-the-british-fired-in-the-early-dawn-the-war-of-independence-had-begun/125486/2 "2002-08-25T15:43:11Z")
Some have argued that the shots fired by the British in the “Boston Massacre” were the first of the war. I disagree, in that they may have _inspired_ resistance, they were not in and of themselves _part_ of the later war. Plus, they were fired against a civilian mob, not a body of soldiers. My schoolbiy memories say the first shots of the war were fired by “Minute Men” militia into a British troop marching toward… Lexington? Concord? … the Paul Revere thing… Oh, my shoddy memory… ☹ ---
**Author:** ![Reeder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c6cbf5/32.png) [@Reeder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reeder)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2002, 3:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-the-british-fired-in-the-early-dawn-the-war-of-independence-had-begun/125486/3 "2002-08-25T15:53:57Z")
They don’t know who fired the first shot at Lexington and Concord, But there are many who believe that the battle there was not the first battle of the Revolutionary War. They believe [The battle at Point Pleasant Virginia](http://www.rootsweb.com/~wvmason/pointp.htm) was. It’s Point Pleasant, West Virginia today. Not many people have even heard of the battle. ---
**Author:** ![samclem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2002, 4:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-the-british-fired-in-the-early-dawn-the-war-of-independence-had-begun/125486/4 "2002-08-25T16:21:44Z")
The Point Pleasant thing is just a manufactured thing from Virginia and the DAR/SAR. Lexington/Concord has to be the “Gulf of Tonkin” of the Am. Rev. ---
**Author:** ![jimmmy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/73ab20/32.png) [@jimmmy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jimmmy)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2002, 7:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-the-british-fired-in-the-early-dawn-the-war-of-independence-had-begun/125486/5 "2002-08-25T19:59:48Z")
I am sure Schoolhouse Rock\* was referring to the Battler Of Lexington, hardly a man is now alive who remembers that famous day and year. Who fired first? Here’s a good site and it convinces _me_ [http://www.publicbookshelf.com/public\_html/Our\_Country\_vol\_2/whofired\_fg.html](http://www.publicbookshelf.com/public_html/Our_Country_vol_2/whofired_fg.html) But I think the Truth is **someone** was going to fire that fateful day and year. And you are right, it can’t be answered certainly - beyond any doubt \*Here are the full Lyrics [http://funnies.paco.to/SchoolHouseRock.html#shot](http://funnies.paco.to/SchoolHouseRock.html#shot) btw Conjunction Junction, what’s your function? It was one by the village clock, When he galloped into Lexington. He saw the gilded weathercock Swim in the moonlight as he passed, And the meeting-house windows, black and bare, Gaze at him with a spectral glare, As if they already stood aghast At the bloody work they would look upon. ---
**Author:** ![Speaker\_for\_the\_Dead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c77e96/32.png) [@Speaker\_for\_the\_Dead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Speaker_for_the_Dead)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2002, 8:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-the-british-fired-in-the-early-dawn-the-war-of-independence-had-begun/125486/6 "2002-08-25T20:06:42Z")
I thought the battle at Bunker Hill (fought at Breed’s Hill) was the first battle of the war? ---
**Author:** ![samclem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2002, 10:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-the-british-fired-in-the-early-dawn-the-war-of-independence-had-begun/125486/7 "2002-08-25T22:10:37Z")
[Lexington-Concord](http://www.wpi.edu/Academics/Depts/MilSci/BTSI/Lexcon/) would convince me that this was the first true battle of the coming war. ---
**Author:** ![Genseric](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Genseric](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Genseric)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2002, 10:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-the-british-fired-in-the-early-dawn-the-war-of-independence-had-begun/125486/8 "2002-08-25T22:44:10Z")
Ahh, but if the British _hadn’t_ fired, there wouldn’t have been a war for independence. ---
**Author:** ![samclem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2002, 11:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-the-british-fired-in-the-early-dawn-the-war-of-independence-had-begun/125486/9 "2002-08-25T23:20:48Z")
…and if a bullfrog had wings, he wouldn’t bump his ass. There would have been a war. ---
**Author:** ![kanicbird](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/5f8ce5/32.png) [@kanicbird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kanicbird)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2002, 1:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-the-british-fired-in-the-early-dawn-the-war-of-independence-had-begun/125486/10 "2002-08-26T01:21:49Z")
> [@](#): > > Ahh, but if the British hadn’t fired, there wouldn’t have been a war for independence I guess it depends on how good of shots the rebels were. Actually this is the wiggle room I found in the song. Also what do the Brits call the WoI? ---
**Author:** ![Johanna](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johanna/32/8318_2.png) [@Johanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johanna)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2002, 2:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-the-british-fired-in-the-early-dawn-the-war-of-independence-had-begun/125486/11 "2002-08-26T02:08:02Z")
Emerson’s “Concord Hymn” gave a name to that famous shot of unknown origin. _Here once the embattled farmers stood, And fired **the shot heard 'round the world.** _ Logically, I can prove that the “Schoolhouse Rock” lyric is correct, regardless of who fired first, regardless of our not knowing. The lyric works no matter how you slice it. If the British fired first, then _ipso facto QED_. If the Americans fired first, but the British did not return fire, then no battle. The battle occurred because the other side returned fire. Therefore the British firing was what made the battle. It takes two to tango. ---
**Author:** ![Genseric](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Genseric](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Genseric)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2002, 2:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-the-british-fired-in-the-early-dawn-the-war-of-independence-had-begun/125486/12 "2002-08-26T02:25:19Z")
**Jomo Mojo** , exactly my point… ---
**Author:** ![Mira](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b5ac83/32.png) [@Mira](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mira)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2002, 3:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-the-british-fired-in-the-early-dawn-the-war-of-independence-had-begun/125486/13 "2002-08-26T03:15:12Z")
> [@](#): > > Also what do the Brits call the WoI? the American Revolution? ---
**Author:** ![Derleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Derleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Derleth)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2002, 3:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-the-british-fired-in-the-early-dawn-the-war-of-independence-had-begun/125486/14 "2002-08-26T03:30:24Z")
Good Riddance to Bad Rubbish? (_Someone_ was going to say it.) 😃