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(1735-1818)
On the night of April 18, 1775, Paul Revere took one of the most famous rides in history. His mission
was to get the word out about the movements of British troops near Boston. Setting out at around 11pm,
Revere rode across the countryside through the night to let his fellow patriots know that the British
were on the way.
Born in Boston on January 1, 1735, this hero was the son of a silversmith. Like his father, Revere learned
how to make all kinds of things. He was able to supplement his income in the economic depression before
the Revolution by creating tools, copper plates, and even fake teeth. Besides working as a silversmith,
Revere was a soldier for a short time during the French and Indian War. The British and the French were
at war over territory in North America.
In August 1757 he married Sarah Orne with whom he had eight children. Shortly after her death in 1773
he married Rachel Walker, and together they had another eight children.
In the 1770s, Revere became a strong supporter of American independence. He was a member of the ‘Sons
of Liberty’, a group of patriots in who took their name from a debate on the Stamp Act in Parliament
in 1765. He joined with 50 other revolutionaries in the Boston Tea Party, an event in 1773 when American
colonists destroyed many crates of tea on ships in Boston Harbor. This event was a protest against the
English tax on tea in the colonies. The colonists didn’t have any say about the new taxes. And they
didn’t have anyone in the English government to support their cause. This was called “taxation
without representation.” The incident has been seen as helping to spark the American Revolution.
Revere became a regular messenger to help the revolutionary cause. He rode to Concord, Massachusetts,
on April 16, 1775, to tell patriots to move their weapons. Two days later he took that historic ride to
Lexington to inform the people that British troops would soon be there. The next day the Revolutionary
War began. And because of Revere, the patriots were ready. During the war, he made supplies to help in
the fighting. Revere also served as a lieutenant colonel. He died on May 10, 1818, in Boston. An obituary
in the Boston Intelligence commented, ‘seldom has the tomb closed upon a life so honorable
and useful’.
Paul Revere’s most famous contribution to U.S. history has been passed down over the years in Henry
Wadsworth Longfellow’s famous poem ‘Paul Revere’s Ride’ which was published in
1861. He has since become a national folk hero.
© 2006 A&E Television Networks. All rights reserved.
Related people
Samuel Adams
John Hancock
Related Websites
Visit the home of Paul Revere:
http://www.paulreverehouse.org/
Learn more about revolutionary times:
http://www.americaslibrary.gov/cgi-bin/page.cgi/jb/revolut
Paul Revere’s personal account of the night of April 18, 1775:
http://www.americanrevolution.org/revere.html
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow’s poem, ‘Paul Revere’s Ride’:
http://poetry.eserver.org/paul-revere.html
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