Paul Revere
| Paul Revere | |
|---|---|
| Portrait of Paul Revere | |
| Born | January 1, 1735 (O.S. December 21, 1734); Boston, Province of Massachusetts Bay, British America |
| Died | May 10, 1818 (aged 83); Boston, Massachusetts, United States |
| Nationality | American |
| Political affiliation | Patriot; Sons of Liberty; Massachusetts Mechanics |
| Spouse | Sarah Orne (m. 1757–1773); Rachel Walker (m. 1773–1813) |
| Children | 16 (across two marriages) |
| Occupation(s) | Silversmith, engraver, industrialist, militia officer |
| Major offices | None elected; civic leader and artisan-entrepreneur |
| Known for | Midnight ride (April 18–19, 1775); Boston Tea Party; Boston Massacre engraving; Revere Copper and Brass works |
Paul Revere (January 1, 1735 – May 10, 1818) was an American silversmith, engraver, and Patriot activist best known for his midnight ride warning colonial militia of British movements on the eve of the Battles of Lexington and Concord. A skilled artisan and energetic organizer, he also became a pioneering industrialist in the early republic.
Artisan and Patriot
Trained by his French-born father, Revere built a thriving Boston silver shop producing tableware, engraving plates, and political cartoons. He joined the Sons of Liberty and local mechanics’ networks, mobilizing protests against imperial taxes. His widely circulated engraving of the Boston Massacre helped shape public opinion, and he participated in the Boston Tea Party (1773).
The Midnight Ride
On April 18, 1775, Revere rode from Boston toward Lexington to warn Samuel Adams and John Hancock and to alert militias of British regulars marching to seize arms. Working with William Dawes and other riders who spread the alarm through a relay, he helped trigger the muster that met the British at Lexington and Concord. Though detained briefly that night, his mission succeeded.
War Service and Industry
During the war Revere served as a militia officer and managed supply tasks, including casting cannon and powder work. After independence, he expanded into copper rolling, founding an enterprise that supplied sheathing for ships and components for early American industry. His business evolved into Revere Copper and Brass, part of the nation’s manufacturing base.
Legacy
Revere’s legend grew with Henry Wadsworth Longfellow’s poem Paul Revere’s Ride (1860), but the historical Revere was more than a lone rider: an artisan-activist who combined craftsmanship, information networks, and civic duty. His life traces the Revolution from street-level protest to industrial nation-building.