Which 1775 battle in Charlestown, Massachusetts, saw British forces capture Breed’s Hill after three assaults?

The Battle of Bunker Hill was the 1775 battle in Charlestown, Massachusetts, where British forces captured Breed’s Hill after three assaults.

Fought on June 17, 1775, the battle occurred during the Siege of Boston, early in the American Revolutionary War. Colonial forces fortified Breed’s Hill on the Charlestown Peninsula, although the engagement took its name from nearby Bunker Hill. The British launched repeated attacks against the colonial position. The first two assaults were repulsed, but the third succeeded after the defenders ran low on ammunition.

The British technically won by taking the peninsula, but they suffered far heavier casualties than the colonial forces. More than 1,000 British soldiers were killed or wounded, including many officers. Colonial losses were lower, though General Joseph Warren was killed during the battle.

The battle demonstrated that inexperienced colonial troops could withstand disciplined regular soldiers when fighting from fortified positions. Its outcome encouraged the siege’s defenders and made British commanders more cautious about attacking strongly held American lines. The battle is often called Bunker Hill even though most fighting took place on Breed’s Hill.