The event referred to as "The Shot Heard 'Round the World" was the first gunfire which ignited the American Revolutionary War. This phrase specifically describes the opening shots exchanged on April 19, 1775, at the battles of Lexington and Concord in Massachusetts. These confrontations marked the beginning of armed conflict between the thirteen American colonies and Great Britain. The phrase symbolizes the moment when the colonies shifted from protest to military action, ultimately leading to a struggle for independence. It was a pivotal point in American history, as it united colonists in a common cause against perceived tyranny, setting the stage for the Revolutionary War.