Issued in Lexington, Massachusetts, on the 200th anniversary of the battles, Scott #1563 depicts the iconic Minuteman statue by Daniel Chester French. The Battles of Lexington and Concord were the culmination of years of rising tensions. British troops marched from Boston to seize colonial military supplies in Concord, but were met by a small band of militia on Lexington Green. The first shots of the war were fired there, and though the colonists were initially dispersed, they regrouped and engaged the British at Concord's North Bridge, forcing them into a long and bloody retreat back to Boston. This first victory for the colonial forces was a powerful demonstration of their resolve and ability to stand up to the might of the British army.