Final answer:
The clash at Lexington and Concord was catalyzed by British attempts to seize colonial weapons and arrest Patriot leaders, escalating tensions over oppressive British policies. The conflict marked the start of the American Revolution and resulted in the formation of the Continental Congress and Army.
Step-by-step explanation:
The clash between American colonists and British soldiers at Lexington and Concord marked the beginning of the American Revolution. Mounting tensions between Great Britain and the American colonies over issues such as taxation without representation and British policies reached a critical point. General Gage's orders to confiscate colonial weapons and arrest leaders in Massachusetts further escalated the situation.
Colonists, known as Patriots, were prepared, and when the British marched through Lexington to Concord to seize munitions, fighting broke out. This encounter included the 'shot heard around the world' at Concord's North Bridge, which was essentially the start of open armed conflict. The situation was intensified by the threat of emancipation of American slaves, which alarmed southern colonies and contributed to the urgency of their rebellion. The battles at Lexington and Concord prompted the Second Continental Congress to convene, eventually leading to the drafting of the Declaration of Independence and the formation of the Continental Army, under the leadership of George Washington.