The Truth About Paul Revere's Ride
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What is the legend and reality of Paul Revere's Midnight Ride?
Es ist der 18. April 1775, die Nacht bevor der Krieg in Lexington und Concord, die Nacht bevor der Schuss um die Welt gehört wurde. In Boston, die schwarze Gruppe eines britischen Mannes der Krieg, fliegt in den Meer. Seine Masken und Sparren sind gegen den Mond ausgezeichnet. Während sie auf dem Meer sind, kann man Geräusche hinter den Wäldern der Barracks hören. Britische Reguliere sind auf dem Weg, und die Leute von Boston, die guten Söhne der Freiheit, sind auf sie. Ein Hecht fährt sich von der Nordseerseite ab, galt durch die Nacht, um einen Marsch zu stehlen. Wenn die Soldaten in Lexington ankommen, als die Sonne beginnt zu steigen, werden sie eine Überraschung finden, die für sie wartet. This midnight ride is the stuff of poetry.
A hurry of hoofs in a village street. A shape in the moonlight. A bulk in the dark. And beneath from the pebbles in passing a spark. Struck out by a steed flying fearless in fleet. That was all. And yet, through the gloom and the light, the fate of a nation was riding that night. And the spark struck out by that steed in his flight kindled the land into flame with its heat. Saddled on the back of that horse, riding his way into legends and our history books, was none other than Paul Revere. Musik Welcome to American History Hit. I'm Don Wildman. Great to have you here. The year is 1775. In England, the Industrial Revolution has begun to rumble. Adam Smith is writing his economic treatise, The Wealth of Nations, while James Watt redesigns the steam engine.
Over in Vienna, an astonishing 19-year-old genius named Mozart has already cranked out his first 30 symphonies. King George III sees his British Empire expanding into the Pacific. Captain James Cook is lauded for adding Australia and New Zealand to the colonized jewels. However, here in North America there is terrible unrest, and not just the revolutionary kind. A smallpox epidemic has taken hold that will last for seven years, killing upwards of 130,000 colonists and native peoples. It's salt in the wound for those unhappy Americans tilting towards a rebellion the British authorities are determined to crush. In these fateful days, a man and his horse will make history of legendary proportions.
Happened at the outbreak of the war in the wee hours of a Boston night. It is the story of the midnight ride of Paul Revere. Who was Paul Revere? And what was his real role in the rebellion? And why did the story of his determined gallop, forgotten for more than a century after it happened, suddenly take hold in the American imagination when the nation stood on the brink of another terrible trial? Our guest and guide today is Michael Haddam, historian of the American Revolution and author of The Memory of 76, The Revolution in American History, published by Yale University in 2024. Welcome, sir. Welcome, Michael. Hi. Thank you, Don. I'm glad to be here. I feel like I should speak in iambic pentameter whenever I speak of Paul Revere.
Longfellows Poem was the first I ever learned as a child in grade school. And that was the point, wasn't it? It was a heroic tale told in a joyful way.
That's really funny. I mean, that's part of its long lasting legacy, right? Is how quickly it transitioned into liturgy for school children in the United States.
Es war Teil meines Kompositionbuches, ich glaube, im 2. oder 3. Jahrhundert. Und du hattest zu kopieren, was dir gefällt. Und natürlich war Paul Revere's Midnight Ride großartig.
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Chapters
7 chapters
1
What is the legend and reality of Paul Revere's Midnight Ride?
0:32–6:55
2
Who was Paul Revere beyond the famous ride?
6:55–12:47
3
What was the political and social context in Boston before the ride?
12:47–17:20
4
How did Paul Revere's family background and early life influence his role?
17:20–25:51
5
What groups and networks was Paul Revere involved with in revolutionary Boston?
25:51–37:20
6
What was the strategic purpose of Paul Revere's midnight ride?
37:20–42:04
7
Who was Joseph Warren and what was his role in the warning system?
42:04–43:26