The main objective of the British troops during their march to Concord was to seize military supplies.

British General Gage sought to seize the arms and ammunition held by colonial militias, viewing these supplies as a serious threat to British authority in the colonies. His objective was to curb the growing resistance among the colonists. However, the alert system established by colonial patriots, particularly Paul Revere and his associates, enabled militias to quickly mobilize and ready themselves for conflict, which ultimately sparked the initial skirmishes that ignited the American Revolutionary War.