Which event is widely considered the start of the American Revolution?

The battles of Lexington and Concord are widely regarded as the start of the American Revolution because they marked the first military engagements between the American colonial militias and British forces in April 1775. This confrontation was the culmination of escalating tensions between the colonies and Great Britain over issues such as taxation without representation and the increasing presence of British troops in the colonies. These battles symbolized the colonies' determination to defend their rights and freedoms, effectively igniting the armed conflict that would lead to the fight for independence.

The Boston Tea Party, while significant in escalating tensions, occurred later in 1773 and was a protest against British taxation. The signing of the Declaration of Independence in 1776 formally declared the colonies' intent to separate from Britain but was not the initial act of rebellion. The Constitutional Convention took place even later, in 1787, focused on creating a new government rather than the revolutionary struggle. Thus, the battles of Lexington and Concord are identified as the true starting point of the Revolutionary War, as they represented the shift from political dissent to open conflict.