The formation of the regiment was prompted by the expansion of the army as a result of the commencement of the Seven Years' War. On 25 August 1756 it was ordered that a number of existing regiments should raise a second battalion; among those chosen was the 12th Regiment of Foot. It was sent to the fever ridden West Indies to aid in the capturing of the French islands of Guadeloupe in January 1759 and Martinique in January 1762. It was also involved in the expedition to capture Havana, Cuba in June 1762. In 1764 the regiment returned to England, where it refilled its ranks. In 1768 the regiment was shipped to Boston, Massachusetts as part of the garrison. The regiment's first action in the American War of Independence was at the Battle of Bunker Hill in June 1775 where their Grenadier and Light Companies were involved in the attack. In 1776 the remnants of the regiment were drafted into other regiments and the officers sent home to reform. In 1782 the regiment received a county title and became the 65th (The 2nd Yorkshire, North Riding) Regiment of Foot.