In America250’s Revolutionary War history, which battle was fought on June 17, 1775?

In America250’s Revolutionary War history, the battle fought on June 17, 1775, was the Battle of Bunker Hill.

The engagement took place during the Siege of Boston, early in the American Revolutionary War. Colonial forces occupied positions on the Charlestown Peninsula, including a fortified redoubt on Breed’s Hill, overlooking Boston. British troops attacked the position in three assaults. The first two were repulsed, but the third captured the redoubt after the colonists ran short of ammunition.

Although the battle is called Bunker Hill, most of the fighting occurred on nearby Breed’s Hill. The name came from Bunker Hill, the original objective of both sides and the larger hill on the peninsula. This geographic detail is the source of a common mix-up when identifying the battle.

The battle ended in a British victory because British forces captured the peninsula, but the heavy British losses demonstrated that colonial troops could stand against regular soldiers. Approximately 1,200 colonial troops opposed more than 3,000 British troops; British casualties were much higher than colonial casualties.