William Dawes &
Paul Revere's
Midnight Ride
On April 18, 1775, Dr. Joseph Warren learned that British troops were on the move against American patriots. First they planned to march from Boston to Lexington under the cover of darkness to arrest John Hancock and Samuel Adams. Then they would continue on to Concord and seize an American stockpile of gunpowder, ammunition, and cannons.
Worried, Warren instructed a friend (presumably Robert Newman, sexton of Christ Church in Boston) to display two lanterns in the church tower. This signal meant that British troops planned to row “by sea” across the Charles River to Cambridge, rather than to march “by land” out of Boston.
Revere hurried to a boat where two patriots rowed him in the dark past a British ship and across the river to Charlestown. There he was informed that British soldiers were on the look-out and would try to stop him from delivering his important message. Undeterred, Revere borrowed a horse from John Larkin and was on his way by about 11pm.
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Just outside of Charlestown, he barely escaped British capture and had to alter his route through Medford, where he alerted the town of the British advancement.
Shortly after midnight, Revere arrived at the house where Hancock and Adams were hiding. Another rider named William Dawes came carrying the same message (each had been sent a different direction to ensure that the message got through). After catching their breathe both men decided to continue on to Concord to warn patriots of the redcoats plans.
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They had not gone far before they were met by Dr. Samuel Prescott, a fellow “Son of Liberty” who decided to ride with the two messengers.
Further up the road the three men were intercepted by a British patrol. They split up hoping to avoid capture. Prescott was the only one who made it to sound the alarm in Concord that night. Though Dawes escaped the British, he could not find a way around them to Concord.
Revere was captured and questioned. After being interrogated he headed back the way he had come, this time on foot as the British retained his horse. The tired messenger reached Lexington in time to witness the end of the battle of Lexington and the beginning of the American Revolutionary War.
Founders Trivia
Paul Revere was 40 years-old when he made his famous midnight ride. A silversmith by trade, he was willing to risk his life to preserve the dream of freedom. Unfortunately, too many have forgotten his story.
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In 1860, American poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow wrote a poem titled Paul Revere's Ride, to inspire patriots to remember their heritage.
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Learn why it matters and listen to a reading of Longfellow's poem below.
Why Does It Matter?
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