Date: April 19, 1775 On the night of April 18th, 1775, British Regulars left Boston on their way to Concord to raid rebel weapon stores. The intent was to make a quick raid, defuse rebel plans to attack the British and capture instigators John Hancock and Samuel Adams. Unfortunately for the British, the result was the beginning of the American Revolution. In other words: this battle was a complete disaster for the British. And that's not a sentence with which I'm a hundred per cent comfortable.