Paul Revere

Part of knowing all about Paul Revere is knowing about his own personal history. This great man was born in the North End of Boston in 1734. He was the son of Apollos Rivoire, who was a French immigrant that changed his name to Revere after immigrating to America, and Deborah Hichborn, who was the daughter of a local artisan. Paul Revere was the second of nine children and lived to become the eldest surviving son.

At the North Writing School Paul Revere received his education. He also learned the art of gold and silversmithing from his father, who died when Paul was only 19-years-old thus leaving him as the only source of income for the family. Since Paul's apprenticeship wasn't quite over he became a commissioned second lieutenant in the colonial artillery. A year later (1757) he married Sarah Orne who died in 1773 at which time he married Rachel Walker with whom he had eight children.

What Paul Revere Did

Paul Revere and Revolutionary War are important to our history. His political involvement began due to his connections with members of local organizations and business patrons. As a member of St. Andrew's Masonic Lodge he befriended activists James Otis and Dr. Joseph Warren. In the year before the Revolutionary War, Paul spent time watching British soldiers and gathering intelligence information. At this time he was also working as a courier for both the Boston Committee of Correspondence and the Massachusetts Committee of Safety, thus riding express to Philadelphia's Continental Congress. It is also important to note that he was responsible for spreading the word about the Boston Tea Party to both New York and Philadelphia.

This is some of the things that you should know all about Paul Revere before his notorious ride on April 18, 1775 at 10 P.M. On this evening Paul received instructions from Dr. Joseph Warren to ride to Lexington and warn both John Hancock and Samuel Adams that the "British are coming." After this night Paul went on to serve as lieutenant colonel of the Massachusetts State Train of Artillery and as the commander of Castle Island, which was located in Boston Harbor. During this time he saw little action but he still had opportunities to participate in some minor expeditions in Newport, Rhode Island and Worcester, Massachusetts. His military career was rather undistinguished and ended with the failed Penobscot expedition.

Why Paul Revere Is Important

The events surrounding Paul Revere and Revolutionary War are important not only because of what these events were but also because of the way in which they were done. These events included serving in the Revolutionary War, serving as a messenger and the midnight ride to Lexington. They are things that actually made a huge impact upon America as we know it today.

Paul Revere's Final Years

At 76-years-old (in 1811) Paul Revere retired from his copper business, even though he remained healthy throughout the final years of his life. He even managed to deal with the great personal losses at the death of his wife and son in 1813. Paul Revere died on May 10, 1818 at the age of 83 from natural causes. At this time he was a modestly well-to-do and popular businessman. Buried in Boston's Granary Burying Ground he left behind five children, several grandchildren and great-grandchildren too.

How Paul Revere Impacted History

A lot of people say that Paul Revere is responsible for the beginning of the Revolutionary War. After all, his legendary ride did alert everyone "The British are coming." Now that you know all about Paul Revere, you can decide for yourself whether or not this is true, as well as what impact Paul Revere and Revolutionary War have had on history as we know it.

Sources

http://www.paulreverehouse.org/bio/bio.shtml
http://www.enchantedlearning.com/history/us/colonial/revere/