Final answer:
The battles of Lexington and Concord were sparked by the British's attempted capture of Samuel Adams and John Hancock. Samuel Adams was the leader whose capture was one of the British's objectives, marking the starting point of the American Revolutionary War. The correct answer to the question is D. Samuel Adams.
Step-by-step explanation:
The leader whose attempted capture by the British sparked the battles of Lexington and Concord was Samuel Adams. Prior to the battles, the British were ordered to seize the munitions and leaders of the rebellion, including Samuel Adams and John Hancock. On the night of April 18th, 1775, the British forces prepared to march on Lexington and Concord with the goal of seizing these leaders and the munitions stored there. However, Samuel Adams and Hancock had been warned and had fled. The battles that ensued marked the start of the armed conflict between Great Britain and the Thirteen Colonies, which later escalated into the American Revolutionary War.
While the battles of Lexington and Concord were turning points, other historical events such as the Boston Tea Party signify the escalating tension between the colonies and Britain. Eventually, the Continental Congress was established and George Washington was selected to lead the Continental Army. The War for Independence ensued with significant moments such as Washington's crossing of the Delaware River and the eventual drafting of The Declaration of Independence by Thomas Jefferson, which articulated the colonists' grievances and their right to seek independence.
The correct option in final answer to the student's question is D. Samuel Adams.