The Midnight Ride of Paul Revere

Statue of Paul Revere in Boston, by Arne Beruldesn

The evening of April 18, 1775, started off as a quiet night for most of Massachusetts. All across the Massachusetts colony, the American colonists prepared and ate their evening meals, finished evening chores, and made ready to retire for the evening after a long day’s work. It was true that they lived in a time of much turmoil and uncertainty, for fear of an approaching conflict with the British was commonplace, and many believed it was only a matter of time before it would burst forth upon the colonies. Despite this, for most of the colonists, this night was just like any other evening, and none of them could have foreseen how the events that would take place that very night, let alone over the next few days, would change life in not only Massachusetts, but in every other American colony, forever.

For over a decade, tensions between the American colonists and British government had continued to grow, as the British sought to tighten their grip upon the colonies. After the conclusion of the French and Indian War (1754-1763), the British had sought to exact their war debt from their 13 American colonies, trampling upon their rights with numerous, and outrageous acts of tyranny as they did so. The colonists had attempted to resist the violation of their rights and acts of tyranny peacefully, petitioning the British government to right the wrongs committed against them, and appealing to their common union as British subjects. All their cries had fallen upon deaf ears, however, and after the British sent troops to the colonies to enforce their unlawful measures, and engaged in a fierce persecution of all who opposed them, the American colonists realized that the time was drawing near for them to take more decisive measures.

On March 23, 1775, in Richmond, Virgina, a member of the Virgina house of burgesses addressed his fellow legislators in a fiery speech. He reviewed all of the colonist’s attempts to peacefully resolve their grievances with the British government, and summed up his remarks with the stirring announcement that they were now left with no other alternative than outright resistance; in short, war. “Is life so dear,” Patrick Henry concluded passionately, “Or peace so sweet, as to be purchased at the price of chains and slavery? Forbid it, Almighty God! I know not what course others may take; but as for me, give me liberty or give me death!” (The Alavon Project). His words might have come as a shock to some, but to many, they reaffirmed the growing apprehension and recognition of the need for action that they all felt. It was evident conflict was inevitable, but when the first blow would fall, only time would tell. A fact they overwhelmingly supported was that it must be the British, and not the colonists who would actually initiate the hostilities, and thus demonstrate their endeavor to maintain peace to the very end. However, just as Patrick Henry had stated in his address, the time for war was at hand, and the spark that would finally ignite it would fly only a few weeks after his appeal to his fellow delegates (Wynne, B.).

The ultimate act of tyranny that sparked actual hostilities in the colonies occurred when British General Gage ordered 800 of his men to confiscate the colonist’s weapons and munition supplies at Concord, Massachusetts. He also ordered them to arrest the two ringleaders and most influential members of the patriot body, the Son’s of Liberty, Samuel Adams and John Hancock. General Gage feared that the ongoing, strong-armed actions of the British would result in a colonial revolt, and was determined to take drastic steps to prevent such an occurrence (Federer, W.). All despots fear an armed citizenry, for it is a decisive factor that often serves as an effective check against absolute tyranny. In order to be free to exact their will upon the colonists without fear of retribution, the British knew that they must work to disarm the colonists. Once disarmed, the colonist recognized that they would be left utterly helpless in the hands of the British, with absolutely no way to defend themselves against their despotic actions. As a result, once their spies heard the news of General Gage’s order, they realized that the time had finally come for them to make their stand.

As soon as word of the enemy advance reached the ears of the leaders of the colonial patriots, they summoned their express riders to spread the word throughout the region, and alert the Minutemen (i.e. the colonial militia). The foremost of these messengers was a Boston silversmith by the name of Paul Revere. Besides being a very successful master craftsman, Paul Revere had worked as an express rider for the Boston Committee of Correspondence and Massachusetts Committee of Safety. He was very involved in the local patriot base in Boston, serving as a member of the “infamous” Sons of Liberty, for whom he gathered and reported information regarding British movements through his extensive spy system (Landmark Events)(Paul Revere House). On the evening of April 18, he was assigned with heading the effort to alert the colonists by fellow patriot and Son of Liberty, Dr. Joseph Warren, who oversaw the mission to alert the colonists of General Gage’s advance. Since the colonists had been anticipating hostile action from the British for some time, they already had a plan in place to spread the alarm and mount a resistance (Paul Revere House)(NPS)(History.com).

Paul Revere was tasked with warning the Massachusetts colonists and alerting the Minutemen at Concord, as well as with riding to Lexington to warn Samuel Adams and John Hancock of their impending arrest. He would be joined in his efforts fellow messenger William Dawes, and later by a third rider named Samuel Prescott, who would also ride out to alert the colonists at Lexington and Concord (PBS). Before Paul Revere set out on his mission, he sent word to a certain Robert Newman, a sexton of Boston’s Old North Church (the tallest structure in Boston), to prepare a prearranged signal to alert the colonists of the British advance. This signal would also alert the colonists regarding which route the British would take — either by land, via the Boston neck, or by sea, through the Boston harbor (ABT). The soon to be iconic signal was the lighting of one or two lanterns in the church’s steeple: one, if the British made their advance by land, and two if they advanced by sea. It would also serve as a back-up alarm, in case Revere and the other messengers were apprehended by the British before they left Boston, a highly probable scenario, since the city remained heavily occupied by the enemy. After Newman had received word from Revere that the British would be making their advance from the sea, he hurried up to the Church’s steeple, lighted the two lanterns, and doing so, set in motion the chain of events that would culminate the American colonist’s first active stand against British tyranny (Paul Revere Heritage Project).

That same evening, Paul Revere and William Dawes set out on horseback, successfully leaving Boston unhindered, and traveling with all possible haste to fulfill their mission. Revere first rode to Lexington, were he was joined by Dawes, and arrived just after midnight at the house of Reverend Jonas Clark, where Samuel Adams and John Hancock were lodging (Paul Revere House)(PBS). After successfully arousing and warning the two men of their impending fate, the two messengers proceeded on their way, alerting the countryside, and hurrying on to to Concord and spread the alarm regarding the British intent to seize the colonist’s munition stores. Revere and Dawes were joined just outside of Lexington by a third rider, Dr. Samuel Prescott, and together, the men continued on their way to Concord. On and on they rode, through the night, and thanks to the highly effective alert system establish by the Sons of Liberty, including Robert Newman’s two lanterns in the Old North steeple, word spread throughout the land like wildfire, and other riders set out to join in the efforts of the messengers to rally their fellow patriots (Landmark Events)(History.com)(PBS).

Unfortunately, before reaching Concord, Paul Revere, William Dawes, and Samuel Prescott were intercepted by the British. Thankfully, both Prescott and Dawes managed to escape, and made it to Concord to complete their mission, but Paul Revere failed to make his escape, and was arrested and closely questioned. Before being released, his horse was taken from him, and he was left to continue on his way by foot. Fortunately, however, by this time, the entire countryside was awake, and the minute men alerted to take up their arms, and prepare to face the British (Paul Revere House)(PBS). The alarm continued to spread throughout Massachusetts, for as determined as the local patriot and militia base was to stand in defense of their homes and freedom, they know they were no match for the far larger and highly trained British army. In the meantime, the Minutemen of Lexington, headed by their pastor, Jonas Clark, and their Captain, John Parker, gathered together on the Lexington green, just before the town’s church, to await the arrival of the British (Fisher, D.). They would be the very first to encounter the enemy, and doubtless a thousand thoughts swirled through each of their minds as they considered the gravity of the step they were about to take, and the potential consequences that their actions might have. Regardless, however, they were filled with a deep resolve and willingness to accept the cost, and stand firm, recognizing that not only their own fate, but the fate of entire future generations rested upon their shoulders.

As dawn approached, and the enemy forces — the very embodiment of the tyranny and oppression they had faced for over ten long years — drew ever closer, those few but courageous souls stood at the ready as the guardians of the young flame of freedom in the American colonies. What would unfold in the next few hours, they had no way of knowing, but regardless of what might occur, they had answered the call to defend freedom, and were willing die, standing firm in its defense, rather than to cower, lay down their arms, and surrender to tyranny.

“Our country is in danger but not to be despaired of. Our enemies are numerous and powerful – but we have many friends. Determine to be free and Heaven and earth will aid the resolution. On you depend the fortunes of America. You are to decide the important question on which rest the happiness and liberty of millions yet unborn. Act worthy of yourselves.”

~Dr. Joseph Warren

For more background, and to learn about what happened next, see the next article in this series:

Sources:

Fisher, D. (2023.) Bringing Back the Black Robed Regiment. Black Robed Publishing.

Wynne, B. (n.d.) Patrick Henry. Retrieved from: https://www.mountvernon.org/library/digitalhistory/digital-encyclopedia/article/patrick-henry

The Avalon Project. (n.d.) Patrick Henry -Give Me Liberty or Give Me Death. Retrieved from: https://avalon.law.yale.edu/18th_century/patrick.asp

American Battlefield Trust (ABT). (n.d.) Lexington and Concord. Retrieved from: https://www.battlefields.org/learn/revolutionary-war/battles/lexington-and-concord

Federer, W. (2024, April 17.) Patriots' Day: Lexington & Concord, and the Right to Keep & Bear Arms “To Disarm the People is the Best Way to Enslave Them” -George Mason. Retrieved from: https://americanminute.com/blogs/todays-american-minute/right-to-bear-arms-lexington-concord-patriots-defense-to-disarm-people-is-the-best-way-to-enslave-them-george-mason-american-minute-with-bill-federer?_pos=3&_sid=bcd390ecb&_ss=r

The Paul Revere House. (n.d.) The Real Story of Paul Revere’s Ride. Retrieved from: https://www.paulreverehouse.org/the-real-story/

The Paul Revere House. (n.d.) Paul Revere’s Biography. Retrieved from: https://www.paulreverehouse.org/biography/

National Park Service (NPS). (n.d.) Paul Revere. Retrieved from: https://www.nps.gov/people/paul-revere.htm

History.com. (2025, February 25.) Paul Revere. https://www.history.com/articles/paul-revere

American Battlefield Trust (ABT). (n.d.) Lexington and Concord. Retrieved from: https://www.battlefields.org/learn/revolutionary-war/battles/lexington-and-concord

Landmark Events. (2016, September 22.) One if by Land and Two if by Sea. Retrieved from: https://landmarkevents.org/one-if-by-land-and-two-if-by-sea/

Paul Revere Heritage Project. (n.d.) One if by Land Two if by Sea: The Origin of the Quote. Retrieved from: http://www.paul-revere-heritage.com/one-if-by-land-two-if-by-sea.html

Paul Revere Heritage Project. (n.d.) Old North Church - One if by Land , and Two if by Sea. Retrieved from: http://www.paul-revere-heritage.com/landmarks-old-north.html

PBS: American Experience. (n.d.) Patriot’s Day: William Dawes. Retrieved from: https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/features/patriotsday-william-dawes/

Baker, S. (2018, March 5.) Dr. Joseph Warren’s 1775 Boston Massacre Oration. Retrieved from: https://salinabakerauthor.com/2018/03/05/dr-joseph-warrens-1775-boston-massacre-oration/

Photograph Citation:

Beruldesn, A. (n.d.). Statue of Paul Revere in Boston [Photograph]. Retrieved from: https://www.britannica.com/biography/Paul-Revere#/media/1/500404/252278