Paul Revere

Paul Revere Memorial, Boston

While walking around Boston, we saw a statue of Paul Revere, and also many streets and buildings named after him, not to mention all the little figurines of him available in gift shops. Not knowing who he was, I decided to research him. Paul Revere was an American patriot who toke part in the American Revolution born in late December 1734. His father, Apollos Rivoire, was French but he moved to Boston at the age of 13 and became an apprentice silversmith. He anglicised his name to Paul Revere and married a Boston woman. He lived his life and had many children, but he decided to give his silvertrade to his son, Paul Revere (yes they are both Paul Revere). Paul toke over the shop and his silverwork became well known. He also practised dentistry, and he became acquainted with many political parties. He married Sarah Orne, and leaving behind six children, she died in 1773. Paul later married Rachel Walker, with whom he had another five children. After the Boston Tea Party, in 1773, Revere started the role of messenger for the Committee of Public Safety, delivering messages and news of politics. During this time, his son Paul Revere Jr. toke care of the silver shop. In 1775, revolution was clearly starting, and Paul became very active. He got his most famous role as night-time messenger on horseback just before the battles of Lexington and Concord. His famous 'Midnight Ride' occurred  on the 18th of April 1775. He and William Dawes were instructed to ride out to warn Samuel Adams and John Hancock that the British were planning a move that night. The British intended to arrest Adams and Hancock at Lexington, and to seize the stash of weapons they had in Concord. Because of the warning, the battles were won by the Revolutionists. After the war, his silver trade was difficult because of the recession, and so he opened a hardware and home goods store, but soon he became interested in other metal works besides silver. He opened an iron and brass trade, and soon started creating bells. Revere died on the 10th of May 1818, at the age of 83, in his home on Charter Street in Boston. He was buried in the Old Granary Burying Ground, Boston.
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow wrote a poem about Paul Revere, about his midnight ride to warn of the British's movement. It created many myths and much confusion however, especially since Longfellow changed the facts greatly to suit his poem, and this poem was forcibly drilled into thousands of schoolchildren's heads. The poem's main problem is that it gives sole credit of delivering the message to Paul Revere, when there is actually at least three known riders (there was probably more, but they are unknown). The poem describes Paul as a lone rider, racing through the night, and shouting in the towns "The British are Coming!!". These are untrue, he could not have shouted through the streets, because the towns were still mainly inhabited by colonists who considered themselves British, and so Revere had to use a more discreet way of informing his compatriots. Many myths still persist because of past popular belief that Longfellow's poem is true. Hopefully, Paul Revere's life will eventually be clarified for all.

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