The British troops intended to seize and destroy the military supplies stored in Concord during their march on April 19, 1775.

Their main goal was to prevent supplies—like weapons, ammunition, and food—from being utilized by the colonial militias in their fight against British authority. By confiscating these resources, the British sought to undermine the burgeoning revolutionary movement and reestablish dominance over the colonies. However, their efforts were hindered when they discovered that many of the supplies had already been concealed or relocated, resulting in a violent clash that sparked the American Revolutionary War.