Which 1775 battle in Charlestown, Massachusetts was the first major battle of the American Revolutionary War?

The Battle of Bunker Hill was the first major battle of the American Revolutionary War, fought on June 17, 1775.

The battle took place during the Siege of Boston, shortly after fighting began at Lexington and Concord. Colonial forces fortified Breed’s Hill on the Charlestown Peninsula, near Bunker Hill, to threaten British positions in Boston and control access to the harbor. British troops attacked in repeated assaults and eventually captured the colonial fortifications.

Although the British won the field, they suffered heavy casualties: about 226 British soldiers were killed and 828 wounded. The colonial forces lost roughly 138 killed, 305 wounded, and 30 captured. The losses demonstrated that inexperienced American troops could seriously challenge the professional British army.

The battle is called Bunker Hill because that was the original objective and the better-known nearby landmark. Most of the fighting actually occurred on Breed’s Hill, a detail that frequently causes confusion.