Which 1775 battle, fought mainly on Breed’s Hill, was the first major battle of the American Revolution?

The Battle of Bunker Hill was the first major battle of the American Revolution, fought near Boston on June 17, 1775.

Although the battle is named for Bunker Hill, most of the fighting took place on nearby Breed’s Hill. Colonial forces built fortifications there to threaten the British position in Boston and the harbor.

British troops eventually captured the heights after repeated assaults, making the battle a British victory. However, the British suffered more than 1,000 casualties, including many officers, while the colonial forces lost hundreds of men.

The battle demonstrated that inexperienced colonial soldiers could stand against regular British troops. The famous instruction often associated with the fight—“Don’t fire until you see the whites of their eyes”—is widely repeated, though historians debate its exact wording and speaker.