What event occurred on April 18, 1775, that marked the beginning of hostilities between British troops and colonists?

The event that took place on April 18, 1775, marking the beginning of hostilities between British troops and colonists, is the Battle of Lexington and Concord. This confrontation is significant as it represents the first military engagement of the American Revolutionary War.

On that night, British troops were dispatched to seize colonial military supplies stored in Concord, Massachusetts. However, colonial militias, having been alerted to the British advance by riders such as Paul Revere, mobilized to confront the British forces. The skirmish began in Lexington, where the first shots were fired, famously known as "the shot heard 'round the world." The conflict subsequently moved on to Concord, where the colonists were able to force the British to retreat. This series of conflicts galvanized colonial resistance against British authority, leading to the broader revolutionary struggle for independence.

The other events listed, such as the First Continental Congress and the signing of the Declaration of Independence, occurred at different times and did not directly involve the armed conflict that took place in April of 1775. The Boston Tea Party, while a pivotal act of protest against British taxation, was also not a military confrontation but rather an act of civil disobedience.