On April 19, 1775, British troops marching to seize colonial supplies in Concord clashed with militia at Lexington, and the first shots of the American Revolutionary War were fired. Militiamen had already begun dispersing when the regulars fired on them, and eight colonists were killed at Lexington. The British then reached Concord, found few stores, and set fire to what they could find. Colonial militia, seeing the smoke, advanced and fired at the North Bridge, and the troops retreated along a route of constant harassment back toward Charlestown. Colonial newspapers reported the events within days, shaping the war's early narrative.

Hampi is a UNESCO World Heritage Site in Karnataka, India, with more than 1,600 surviving remains spread over 4,100 hectares. It was the capital of the Vijayanagara Empire from 1336 to 1565. Travellers from Persia and Portugal described it as a prosperous, wealthy and grand city with temples, markets and farms along the Tungabhadra River. By 1500 it was estimated to be the world's second-largest city after Beijing, and probably India's richest at the time. In 1565 a coalition of Muslim sultanates defeated the Vijayanagara Empire, its capital was conquered and destroyed, and the city was left in ruins. Hampi remains a religious centre, with the active Virupaksha Temple at its heart.