The Lanterns Still Shine: Commemorating 250 Years Since Paul Revere's Midnight Ride

 

April 18, 2025

Today marks exactly 250 years since an American silversmith mounted his horse and galloped through the Massachusetts countryside on a mission that would change the course of history. On this night in 1775, Paul Revere embarked on his famous "midnight ride," carrying urgent news that British troops were on the move. Two lanterns hung in Boston's Old North Church tower, signaling the approach of British forces by sea, and setting in motion events that would spark the American Revolution.

The Man Behind the Legend

Before he became an American icon, Paul Revere was a skilled craftsman and businessman. Born in Boston's North End on January 1, 1735, Revere learned silversmithing from his father, a French Huguenot immigrant who had anglicized his name from Apollos Rivoire. After his father's death in 1754, Revere took over the family silver shop, producing everything from elegant tea sets to shoe buckles.

But Revere was more than just a silversmith. He worked as a dentist, engraver, and was deeply involved in the politics of his day. By the 1760s, he had joined the Sons of Liberty, creating anti-British engravings including a famous depiction of the Boston Massacre that helped fuel revolutionary sentiment throughout the colonies.

The Night That Changed America

As tensions between colonists and British authorities reached a breaking point in the spring of 1775, Revere became an essential part of Boston's patriot intelligence network. When word came that British troops were preparing to march to Concord to seize colonial arms and possibly arrest revolutionary leaders Samuel Adams and John Hancock, Revere sprang into action.

On the evening of April 18, 1775, Revere and other patriots arranged for two lanterns to be hung in the steeple of the Old North Church – a signal that the British were coming "by sea" across the Charles River. Revere then crossed the river himself and mounted a borrowed horse to spread the alarm through the countryside.

Riding through the night, Revere reached Lexington around midnight, where he warned Adams and Hancock. Despite being briefly detained by a British patrol, the message spread throughout the region, allowing colonial militias to mobilize by dawn when the first shots of the Revolutionary War were fired on Lexington Green.

Beyond the Famous Ride

While Longfellow's poem immortalized his midnight gallop, Revere's contributions to the American cause extended far beyond that single night. Throughout the Revolutionary War, he served as a courier for the Boston Committee of Public Safety, making at least 18 documented rides to spread news and intelligence. He also manufactured gunpowder, cast cannons, and printed currency for the Patriot cause.

After the war, Revere continued to innovate as an entrepreneur. He expanded into iron casting, bronze bell and cannon casting, and in 1800 established America's first successful copper rolling mill, which supplied copper sheeting for naval vessels including the USS Constitution.

A Legacy That Endures

Paul Revere died on May 10, 1818, at the age of 83, having lived long enough to see the nation he helped create grow and prosper. Today, his home in Boston's North End stands as a museum, and his midnight ride remains one of the most celebrated stories in American history.

As we mark this 250th anniversary, we remember not just the dramatic ride, but the man himself – a craftsman, patriot, and entrepreneur who embodied the independent spirit that would come to define the American character.

The two lanterns that shone from the Old North Church on that April night continue to illuminate our understanding of courage, sacrifice, and the power of ordinary individuals to change the course of history.

Sources Consulted

1. Board for Certification of Genealogists. Genealogy Standards, 50th Anniversary Edition. Washington, D.C.: Ancestry, 2014.
   — Outlines the five components of the GPS and documentation standards149.

2. Paul Revere House. "Ancestry."
   — Provides details on Paul Revere’s parents, family background, and primary source references for family events11.

3. WikiTree. "Paul Revere (1735-1818) | WikiTree FREE Family Tree."
   — Collaborative biography and genealogical data for Paul Revere, including family relationships, marriages, and children6.

4. Paul Revere House. "Paul Revere Biography."
   — Biographical summary of Paul Revere’s life, family, and professional activities, with references to primary documents8.

5. FamousKin.com. "Paul Revere Family Tree (15461)."
   — Compiled genealogical chart showing Paul Revere’s ancestry and kinship to other notable individuals, with individual source citations on family group pages10.

Citations:

1. https://bcgcertification.org/ethics-standards
2. https://www.bcgcertification.org/ten-minute-methodology-proof-statements-2-examples
3. https://www.familysearch.org/en/wiki/Genealogical_Proof_Standard
4. https://www.ngsgenealogy.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/W121-Rencher-The-Genealogical-Proof-Standard-GPS-is-Your-Friend-2MAY18GrandRapidsNGS.pdf
5. https://www.familysearch.org/en/wiki/The_Genealogical_Proof_Standard_-_International_Institute
6. https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Revere-1
7. https://www.genealogyexplained.com/basics/genealogical-proof-standard/
8. https://www.paulreverehouse.org/biography/
9. https://genealogy.org.nz/filescust/CMS/Getting%20It%20Right/2-1%20Genealogical%20Proof%20Standard.pdf
10. https://famouskin.com/family-tree.php?name=15461+paul+revere
11. https://www.paulreverehouse.org/ancestry/
12. https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Revere-1