Battle of Bunker Hill

Overview

The Battle of Bunker Hill was fought on June 17, 1775, during the Siege of Boston in the first stage of the American Revolutionary War. The battle is named after Bunker Hill in Charlestown, Massachusetts, which was peripherally involved. It was the original objective of both the colonial and British troops, though the majority of combat took place on the adjacent hill, which became known as Breed's Hill.

Overview adapted from Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Significance

The Battle of Bunker Hill was fought on June 17, 1775, during the Siege of Boston, making it one of the first major engagements of the American Revolutionary War. Though the battle takes its name from Bunker Hill in Charlestown, Massachusetts, the majority of the fighting occurred on the adjacent Breed's Hill. The engagement involved roughly 2,400 colonial troops against a British force of approximately 3,000. Colonial casualties ranged from 140 to 271, while British casualties were substantially heavier, estimated between 228 and 828. The disparity in losses relative to force size shaped early perceptions of the war's likely costs for both sides.

Forces & casualties

Commanders (12)