What was the name of the first major battle of the American Revolution, fought near Boston in 1775?

The Battle of Bunker Hill was the first major battle of the American Revolution, fought near Boston in 1775.

The battle took place on June 17, 1775, during the Siege of Boston. American forces fortified Breed’s Hill on the Charlestown Peninsula, while British troops launched repeated assaults. The British eventually captured the position, but suffered heavy casualties, making the battle a costly tactical victory.

Although the engagement is called Bunker Hill, most of the fighting occurred on nearby Breed’s Hill. The naming difference is a common source of confusion. American colonel William Prescott is associated with the instruction often paraphrased as “Do not fire until you see the whites of their eyes,” though the exact wording and speaker remain debated.

The battle showed that inexperienced colonial forces could stand against regular British troops. The British retained control of Boston, but their losses strengthened American resistance and made compromise less likely. The conflict had begun at Lexington and Concord two months earlier, but Bunker Hill was the first large-scale confrontation.