Revere, Paul

Paul Revere (1735-1818, age 83). An American silversmith, military officer and industrialist who played a major role during the opening months of the American Revolutionary War in Massachusetts, engaging in a midnight ride in 1775 to alert nearby Minutemen of the approach of British troops prior to the Battle of Lexington and Battle of Concord.

Born in the North End of Boston from humble beginnings, Revere eventually became a prosperous and prominent Bostonian, deriving his income from silversmithing and engraving.

During the American Revolution, he was a strong supporter of the Patriot cause and joined the Sons of Liberty. His midnight ride transformed him into an American folk hero, being dramatized in Henry Wadsworth Longfellow‘s 1861 poem, “Paul Revere’s Ride.”

He also helped to organize an intelligence and alarm system to keep watch on the movements of British forces. Revere later served as an officer in the Massachusetts Militia.