Uploaded April 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
Dan Snow investigates the world-changing events of April 19th 1775. On April 19th 1775, the first muskets were fired in the American War of Independence - the famous "shot heard round the world".
In this special History Hit film, Dan Snow explores the key sites where it happened on this day - Battle Green, Lexington; The Old North Bridge, Concord; and the Battle Road that saw the British redcoats fight their way back to Boston under constant attack from provincial militia. Dan meets the archaeologists and military historians who are unearthing fascinating new evidence revealing exactly what happened, uncovering musket balls untouched since they were fired, working out where and how some of the famous firefights occurred, discovering battle damage in historic houses and making comparisons with detailed tests on the firing range.
As dusk fell on April 19th an uneasy peace had turned into all-out war - find out how it happened as experts unravel the momentous events of a day that changed world history.
You can now become a History Hit member right here on YouTube! Join for access to a new exclusive documentary every week, and access to over 160+ of our documentaries presented by world-renowned historians like Dan Snow, Eleanor Janega, Tristan Hughes, Mary Beard, Matt Lewis and more.
Get an exclusive release every week by signing up here: youtube.com/channel/UCZwU2G-KVl-P-O-B35chZOQ/join
#americanrevolution #america250 #warofindependence
Dan Snow investigates the world-changing events of April 19th 1775. On April 19th 1775, the first muskets were fired in the American War of Independence - the famous "shot heard round the world".
In this special History Hit film, Dan Snow explores the key sites where it happened on this day - Battle Green, Lexington; The Old North Bridge, Concord; and the Battle Road that saw the British redcoats fight their way back to Boston under constant attack from provincial militia. Dan meets the archaeologists and military historians who are unearthing fascinating new evidence revealing exactly what happened, uncovering musket balls untouched since they were fired, working out where and how some of the famous firefights occurred, discovering battle damage in historic houses and making comparisons with detailed tests on the firing range.
As dusk fell on April 19th an uneasy peace had turned into all-out war - find out how it happened as experts unravel the momentous events of a day that changed world history.
You can now become a History Hit member right here on YouTube! Join for access to a new exclusive documentary every week, and access to over 160+ of our documentaries presented by world-renowned historians like Dan Snow, Eleanor Janega, Tristan Hughes, Mary Beard, Matt Lewis and more.
Get an exclusive release every week by signing up here: youtube.com/channel/UCZwU2G-KVl-P-O-B35chZOQ/join
#americanrevolution #america250 #warofindependence
