Most American children hear of Paul Revere's midnight ride on April 18, 1775, to warn colonists of the British invasion. Few hear that Revere never actually completed his ride.
The Sons of Liberty had been watching the movements of the British army. When a battle seemed eminent, Dr. Joseph Warren instructed both Revere and William Dawes to ride to Lexington, Massachusets, to warn John Hancock and Samuel Adams. Then they were supposed to ride on to Concord where the militia's weapons were stored.
Revere successfully made it to Lexington, making sure two lanterns were placed in the tower of the Old North Church, warning the revolutionaries that the army was advancing "by sea" across the nearby Charles River. At Lexington, Revere met back up with Dawes, who had come by a different route. The two headed to Concord along with Samuel Prescott, but were stopped on the way by British soldiers. Paul Revere was captured, his horse was confiscated, and he was forced to walk back toward Lexington at gunpoint. Dawes escaped, but soon fell off his horse and never made it to Concord. Samuel Prescott got away by jumping his horse over a wall and successfully reached Concord before the battle began.
Some forty years after Paul Revere's death, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow penned his highly famous yet highly romanticized version of Revere's ride:
Listen, my children, and you shall hear
Of the midnight ride of Paul Revere....
I guess it's too hard to rhyme with "Prescott".
The Sons of Liberty had been watching the movements of the British army. When a battle seemed eminent, Dr. Joseph Warren instructed both Revere and William Dawes to ride to Lexington, Massachusets, to warn John Hancock and Samuel Adams. Then they were supposed to ride on to Concord where the militia's weapons were stored.
Revere successfully made it to Lexington, making sure two lanterns were placed in the tower of the Old North Church, warning the revolutionaries that the army was advancing "by sea" across the nearby Charles River. At Lexington, Revere met back up with Dawes, who had come by a different route. The two headed to Concord along with Samuel Prescott, but were stopped on the way by British soldiers. Paul Revere was captured, his horse was confiscated, and he was forced to walk back toward Lexington at gunpoint. Dawes escaped, but soon fell off his horse and never made it to Concord. Samuel Prescott got away by jumping his horse over a wall and successfully reached Concord before the battle began.
Some forty years after Paul Revere's death, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow penned his highly famous yet highly romanticized version of Revere's ride:
Listen, my children, and you shall hear
Of the midnight ride of Paul Revere....
I guess it's too hard to rhyme with "Prescott".
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