Question

Why did the American officers tell the volunteers not to fire "until you see the whites of their eyes"?

1. They knew the volunteers had little training and very little gunpowder, and the officers didn't want to waste ammunition.
2. They realized the volunteers had trouble distinguishing the difference between British soldiers and colonists.
3. They wanted the British to fire first so that they would be blamed for starting the war.
4. They wanted the British to be unaware of the massive army of volunteers that had joined the revolution.

Answer 1

The command to not fire until seeing the "whites of their eyes" was given to ensure that the American volunteers in the Revolutionary War made every shot count due to their limited training and scarce gunpowder. This strategy was essential in battles like Bunker Hill, where the colonial militiamen, known as minutemen, faced well-supplied British forces.

Step-by-step explanation:

During the early stages of the American Revolutionary War, American officers instructed their volunteers not to fire "until you see the whites of their eyes" for several strategic reasons. The most accurate interpretation of this command is that those officers knew the volunteers had limited training and were low on gunpowder, which meant that ammunition needed to be conserved. Waiting to fire until seeing the "whites of their eyes" ensured that each shot was taken at close range, thereby increasing the likelihood of a hit and reducing the waste of precious ammo.

This phrase, often associated with the Battle of Bunker Hill, reflects the dire circumstances of the colonial militiamen who, as minutemen, vowed to be ready for combat at a moment's notice. The American forces had to make every shot count against the better-supplied and professionally trained British soldiers. In this context, telling troops to hold their fire until they could clearly see their enemies highlighted the critical need to maximize the effectiveness of their limited resources.