The Battles of Lexington and Concord, which also was caused in part by British forces attempting to capture resistance leaders Samuel Adams and John Hancock, had the effect of convincing those in the colonies that reconciliation with the British crown was no longer a viable possibility after the disputes over taxation without representation, University of Wyoming law professor George A. Mocsary observed.
“The April 1775 arms seizures were not the whole cause of independence, but they were a decisive step that convinced Americans that reconciliation with Britain was no longer realistic,” Moscary said. “In other words, the attempt to disarm the colonists at Lexington and Concord turned a political-constitutional crisis into a war. The Declaration of Independence explained why that war had made continued allegiance impossible.”
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