Movie Review: Biography: Paul Revere, A&E Biography Channel, 1995.
Paul
Revere is an interesting man. However, the poem by Henry Wadsworth
Longfellow, presents a sketch of his midnight ride, which is influenced
by truth and fable. SO to look at this aspect of Paul Revere’s life
first. Revere was very much interested in the independence movement,
and met often with those planning how to carry this about. He was
actively involved in the Boston Tea Party. His major function was that
of a messenger. He would work his regular job and duties during the
day, and then ride all night to deliver message. His most frequent
route was the Boston to New York and back. He also visited
Philadelphia. He was also called upon to report on news from one city
to another, about what efforts were being made towards independence.
When
there was trouble brewing in Boston, Paul Revere came up with the idea
of a friend of his, across the bay, would let him know if the British
Regulars were on the move. Truly they used one or two lanterns to
distinguish from where the trouble was coming. Paul Revere did ride to
warn those cities outside of Boston. There was word the British
military wanted to destroy a cache of arms they had heard about.
However, Paul Revere was not the only rider. He did not say, “The
British are coming.” At that time all the residents were subjects of
Britain. However he did have a conversation with someone and said “The
regulars are coming.” He took his trip at night, as expressed.
However, he did stop and have a rest for a half hour with a friend, and
letting his horse rest, before moving on to Concord. He was not riding
all out like depicted. Such a ride would have killed his horse. He was
captured by the British, and threatened to tell what he knew. He
decided to play a bluff, and said there were 500 men expected to face
the regulars. This drew alarm, and he was allowed to leave, but withut
his horse.
The
story is well known. The British first attacked local in Lexington,
and routed them. However, in Concord the situation was different. The
first fired from the North Bridge, and a volley was returned resulting
the first British fatality of the war. The British were forced to
retreat, and as they did so, the local farmers and militia would fire
from the trees, and then run forward and fire again. A day that started
out as a British victory, did not end that way.
As
for Paul Revere, he never had an active part in the Revolutionary War.
He was expecting an officer’s commission, which did not come. He did
have command of a small garrison group in Boston. His only real action
was taking a group of men North to Maine, to clear out a British
inhabited fort. This was the largest maritime assault by Americans up
to that time. It did not go well. There was bickering between the
officers, and finally Revere ordered his men back to Boston without
achieving their goal. There was a court martial, and Revere was
exonerated saying that the men were out of control, and would not have
headed any command anyway.
Revere
was a very successful man. Although he did not run for political
office, he was active in civic duties, including local clubs and Free
Masons. He was one of the first industrialist. He had trained as a
silversmith, but branched out into other areas. He and his suns
established a bell making foundry. This was at a period of religious
revival, and many people needed bells for their churches. He then
expanded into copper, and made copper sheeting. Many state houses are
covered ith his copper, as well as the sides of many ships.
789. Paul Revere’s Ride
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Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (1807–1882)
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