A Shot Was Fired

: The 'shot heard around the world' refers to the battle at Lexington and Concord that started the Revolutionary War. When we won our independence, we became the first democracy in modern times (all other counties at that time were either monarchies or colonies of monarchies). The Shot Heard Round The World Minutemen facing British soldiers on Lexington Common, Massachusetts, in the first battle in the War of Independence, 19th April 1775. Original artist William Barnes Wollen.

Following Revere’s warning to the Patriots, Captain John Parker began assembling minutemen to meet the British. After rousing approximately 137 men, they waited for the British to arrive. However, because it had taken the British two hours to receive supplies earlier in the evening, the minutemen were way ahead of schedule. Parker requested that the minutemen retire to nearby taverns until further notice while sending a few scouts from Lexington to approximate the arrival of the British. Many of these scouts were not seen again due to British arrest. One scout, Thaddeus Bowman, did return; he had narrowly escaped arrest by British soldiers and Pitcairn’s advance troop was only half a mile behind him. Captain Parker hastily assembled his minutemen again. When Pitcairn’s forces and Parker’s minutemen met, there were 77 minutemen prepared to fight nearly 250 British soldiers. A shot was fired; although it’s not clear which side fired first. More shots ensued. After the fight came to a close, eight Americans were dead and ten were wounded. This is in comparison to one wounded British soldier and several bullet wounds in Pitcairn’s horse.

'The shot heard round the world' is a phrase that refers to the opening shot of the battles of Lexington and Concord on April 19, 1775, which began the American Revolutionary War and led to the creation of the United States of America. The phrase has subsequently also been applied to the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand in 1914 (which was one of the reasons World War I began) as well as other events.

Skirmish at the North Bridge[edit]

By the rude bridge that arched the flood,
Their flag to April’s breeze unfurled,
Here once the embattled farmers stood,
And fired the shot heard round the world.

− Emerson, 'Concord Hymn'

The phrase comes from the opening stanza of Ralph Waldo Emerson's 'Concord Hymn' (1837) and refers to the first shot of the American Revolution at the Old North Bridge in Concord, Massachusetts, where the first British soldiers fell in the battles of Lexington and Concord on April 19, 1775. Historically, no single shot can be cited as the first shot of the battle or the war. Shots were fired earlier that day at Lexington, Massachusetts, where eight Americans were killed and a British soldier was slightly wounded, but accounts of that event are confusing and contradictory.^[1] The North Bridge skirmish did see the first shots by Americans acting under orders, the first organized volley by Americans, the first British fatalities, and the first British retreat.

The towns of Lexington and Concord have debated over the point of origin for the Revolutionary War since 1824 when the Marquis de Lafayette visited the towns. He was welcomed to Lexington hearing it described as the 'birthplace of American liberty', but he was then informed in Concord that the 'first forcible resistance' was made there. President Ulysses S. Grant considered not attending the 1875 centennial celebrations in the area to evade the issue. In 1894, Lexington petitioned the state legislature to proclaim April 19 as 'Lexington Day', to which Concord objected; the current name for the holiday is Patriots' Day.^[1]

Emerson lived in a house known as the Old Manse at the time when he was composing the 'Concord Hymn', from which his grandfather and father (then a young child) had witnessed the skirmish. The house is located approximately 300 feet (91 m) from the North Bridge.

Assassination of Franz Ferdinand[edit]

The phrase 'shot heard round the world' (alternatively 'shots heard round the world' or 'shot heard around the world')^[2][3] has also become associated with the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria in Sarajevo on 28 June 1914, an event considered to be one of the immediate causes of World War I.^[4][5][6][7] Serbian Gavrilo Princip fired two shots, the first hitting Franz Ferdinand's wife Sophie, Duchess of Hohenberg, and the second hitting the Archduke himself. The death of Franz Ferdinand, heir to the Austro-Hungarian throne, propelled Austria-Hungary and the rest of Europe into World War I.

Widespread idiomatic use[edit]

The phrase 'Shot heard round the world' continues to be a stock phrase in the 21st century, widely used to refer to extraordinary events in general.^[8] The phrase has been applied to several dramatic moments in sports history.

In baseball, the 'Shot Heard 'Round the World' refers to the game-winning walk-off home run by New York Giants outfielder Bobby Thomson off Brooklyn Dodgers pitcher Ralph Branca to win the National League pennant on October 3, 1951. The Giants won the game 5–4 as a result of the home run, defeating their traditional rivals in the pennant playoff series, although they eventually lost the World Series to the Yankees.^[9]

In association football, the shot heard round the world refers to Paul Caligiuri's winning goal for the United States men's national soccer team in the final qualifying round for the 1990 FIFA World Cup on 19 November 1989.^[10][11] The US had not qualified for the World Cup since 1950. The team was in third position of the CONCACAF playoffs before their final game against Trinidad and Tobago in Port of Spain. The US had to win to go to the finals, their opponents only needed a draw. Defensive midfielder Caliguri received the ball 40 yards out from goal, and instead of passing it to a striker, beat one defender and launched a 30-yard shot that looped into the goal.^[10]

In golf, the shot heard round the world refers to a double eagle (or albatross) made by Gene Sarazen on the 15th hole in the final round of the 1935 Masters. Sarazen would go on to win the tournament in a 36-hole playoff.^[12]

References[edit]

Q Shot Heard Around The World

1. ^ ^abBrock Parker (April 28, 2014). 'The old tavern debate: Which town fired first?'. The Boston Globe. pp. B1, B13. Archived from the original on February 9, 2019. Retrieved February 9, 2019.
2. ^Michael D. Mosettig (June 27, 2014). ''The shots heard round the world' 100 years ago'. PBS NewsHour. Archived from the original on September 11, 2018. Retrieved September 10, 2018.
3. ^Tom Parry (March 7, 2014). 'My great uncle fired the shot that started World War I and I'm proud of him'. Daily Mirror. Archived from the original on September 11, 2018. Retrieved September 10, 2018.
4. ^Elizabeth Nix (January 22, 2015). 'What was the 'shot heard round the world'?'. History.com. Archived from the original on September 11, 2018. Retrieved September 10, 2018.
5. ^Greg Allwood (June 28, 2016). 'Sarajevo, June 28th – The Shot Heard Round The World'. Forces Network. Archived from the original on September 11, 2018. Retrieved September 10, 2018.
6. ^Shea Lazansky (April 20, 2017). 'The shot heard 'round Marion'. The Daily Republican. Marion, Illinois. Archived from the original on September 11, 2018. Retrieved September 10, 2018.
7. ^Elizabeth Sullivan (June 28, 2014). 'A century on from Sarajevo's 'shot heard round the world,' the impacts of WWI still being felt'. Cleveland.com. Archived from the original on September 11, 2018. Retrieved September 10, 2018.
8. ^Candy Spelling (October 2, 2013). 'Shot Heard 'Round the World'. HuffPost Entertainment – The Blog. Archived from the original on October 21, 2013. Retrieved October 28, 2013.
9. ^Howard G. Peretz (1999). It Ain't Over 'Till The Fat Lady Sings: The 100 Greatest Sports Finishes of All Time. New York: Barnes & Noble. pp. 4–5. ISBN978-0-7607-1707-3. OCLC43461820. OL8012779M.
10. ^ ^ab' 'The shot' ends 40 years of hurt'Archived 2019-04-28 at the Wayback Machine, FIFA.com, September 10, 2015
11. ^Fred J. Robledo (November 19, 1999). 'Kick start; ten years later, one goal still means a lot'. Daily News. Los Angeles. Archived from the original on April 3, 2019. Retrieved March 1, 2019 – via The Free Library.
12. ^Martin Davis (March 31, 2012). 'Sarazen's double eagle put Masters on the map'. Golf Channel. Archived from the original on June 4, 2020. Retrieved April 10, 2020.

The Shot Heard Around The World Q