Battles of Lexington and Concord   In the late 1760’s and early 1770’s, Massachusetts was hotbed of revolution. In 1773, the "Sons of Liberty" dressed up as Indians and seized a British cargo ship carrying tea. In protest of the newly passed tea tax, the revolutionaries threw all of the tea in the ocean. The event came be known as "The Boston Tea Party," and set the stage for a series of events and laws that led to the American Revolution. On April 18, 1775, the first shots of the Revolution were fired at Lexington. British soldiers, ordered to confiscate stolen arms, fired upon a mob of Patriots, killing eight. The American Revolution had begun. On July 4,1776, America officially declared independence from England.   United States Landmarks