The Battles of Lexington and Concord have long been considered the beginning of the American Revolution. However, Vermonters know that the first blood was actually shed in Westminster in March 1775. Over a month before Lexington and Concord, Westminster Whigs endured an attack from their own Loyalist sheriff and his men that left two dead. In response, the county rose in revolt in what became known as the Westminster Massacre. This bloody event set the stage for Vermont’s separation from New York and its position as a mainstay of American independence throughout the entire war. Jessie Haas and the Westminster Historical Society vividly retell the story of the real first battle of the American Revolution and Windham County’s important role throughout the war.