On April 19, 1775, British soldiers and American militiamen exchanged gunfire on the village greenin Lexington, Massachusetts. The fighting spread to nearby Concord.
Congress delegates from thirteen countries authorized the creation of the Continental Army. In June 1775, George Washington was appointed commander of the American forces.
The Second Congress led to the Declaration of American Independence on July 4, 1775. All the thirteen colonies accepted a common agenda of unity which led to the birth of the USA.