Paul Revere’s RidePaul Revere’s Ride

Listen, my children, and you shall hearListen, my children, and you shall hearOf the midnight ride of Paul Revere,Of the midnight ride of Paul Revere,

On the eighteenth of April, in Seventy-Five;On the eighteenth of April, in Seventy-Five;Hardly a man is now aliveHardly a man is now alive

Who remembers that famous day and yearWho remembers that famous day and year

HIST 140 Theme 7 Part 2HIST 140 Theme 7 Part 2

Summer 2011Summer 2011

By: Le Thi My HoBy: Le Thi My Ho

The MissionThe MissionBritish Plans, American British Plans, American

PreparationsPreparations

The British planned to strike at the The British planned to strike at the heart of the rebel movement without heart of the rebel movement without awakening the wrath of the awakening the wrath of the American continent – American continent – it’s all about it’s all about secrecy, surprise, secrecy, surprise, andand sound sound intelligenceintelligence

The The British SystemBritish System of intelligence of intelligence was created and controlled from the was created and controlled from the top downtop down

The Whig leaders in New England The Whig leaders in New England were prepared to fight but were prepared to fight but importantly only after the British importantly only after the British committed his forces by firing first, committed his forces by firing first, then they can react quickly and then they can react quickly and muster their full strength against muster their full strength against Gage with all force at their Gage with all force at their commandcommand

The The American SystemAmerican System of intelligence of intelligence was organized from the bottom upwas organized from the bottom up

The MissionThe MissionCareful Preparation, Timely Warning, Rapid MobilizationCareful Preparation, Timely Warning, Rapid Mobilization

The British, led by The British, led by General Thomas GageGeneral Thomas Gage, , formal intelligence staff consisted largely of his formal intelligence staff consisted largely of his kinsmen-mostly relatives by marriage whom kinsmen-mostly relatives by marriage whom

The Americans were coordinated through an The Americans were coordinated through an open, disorderly network of congresses and open, disorderly network of congresses and committees, but no central authority control, had committees, but no central authority control, had many leaders but no commandermany leaders but no commander

General Gage sent confidential staff on General Gage sent confidential staff on secret secret missionmission to to collect informationcollect information and knowledge and knowledge about eastern Massachusetts so he would know about eastern Massachusetts so he would know where to strikewhere to strike

Gage finally decided that Gage finally decided that ConcordConcord will be his will be his target target and believe that a strong force of Regular and believe that a strong force of Regular troops under experienced professional officers troops under experienced professional officers had little to fear from these uninformed had little to fear from these uninformed “bushmen” but little did he knows that the quick “bushmen” but little did he knows that the quick Whigs of Boston were picking up cues from the Whigs of Boston were picking up cues from the activities and preparation of his man and knows activities and preparation of his man and knows that Gage will strike Concordthat Gage will strike Concord

2 different urgent warnings of the attack was 2 different urgent warnings of the attack was delivered by Paul Revere but was reported to delivered by Paul Revere but was reported to General GageGeneral Gage

The WarningThe WarningThe Midnight Ride as a Collective The Midnight Ride as a Collective

EffortsEfforts The roving British officers, whose assignment was The roving British officers, whose assignment was

to stop the New England alarm-riders, had the to stop the New England alarm-riders, had the effect of alarming the countryside themselves effect of alarming the countryside themselves that they were making the expected movethat they were making the expected move

April 18, 1775April 18, 1775 The Americans were informed of the The Americans were informed of the British idea “to seize British idea “to seize Samuel AdamsSamuel Adams and and John John HancockHancock, who were known to be at Lexington, and , who were known to be at Lexington, and burn the stores at Concord” burn the stores at Concord”

One of the Whigs leader, One of the Whigs leader, Dr. Joseph WarrenDr. Joseph Warren, had , had special access to a confidential informer, special access to a confidential informer, someone well connected at the uppermost levels someone well connected at the uppermost levels of the British command who would give him of the British command who would give him source about the plansource about the plan

Paul Revere’s primary mission was not to Paul Revere’s primary mission was not to alarm alarm the countrysidethe countryside but to warn Samuel Adams and but to warn Samuel Adams and John Hancock that they were the objects of the John Hancock that they were the objects of the British expeditionBritish expedition

The WarningThe WarningDelivering the Message to ConcordDelivering the Message to Concord

Besides delivering the early warning Besides delivering the early warning system by special messengers, The system by special messengers, The Whigs had a Whigs had a back-up systemback-up system of lantern of lantern signals light “signals light “lanthornslanthorns” visible from ” visible from Boston to CharlestownBoston to Charlestown Lanthorn was placed in Boston’s tallest Lanthorn was placed in Boston’s tallest

building, the Old North Church – to be building, the Old North Church – to be visible in Charlestownvisible in Charlestown

Robert Newman, Captain Pulling, and Robert Newman, Captain Pulling, and Thomas Bernard went to the Old North Thomas Bernard went to the Old North Church to hang up the lanterns, in Church to hang up the lanterns, in which the which the flash of lightflash of light was seen by the was seen by the Charleston Whigs indicating that the Charleston Whigs indicating that the British troops were leaving Boston to British troops were leaving Boston to take actiontake action

Paul Revere, was to send the message Paul Revere, was to send the message by boat to Charlestown, decided to go by boat to Charlestown, decided to go unarmedunarmed, a decision that later may , a decision that later may have have saved his lifesaved his life

The CaptureThe CaptureA British Patrol Takes Paul Revere, and Is Taken by A British Patrol Takes Paul Revere, and Is Taken by

HimHim Together with Together with Paul Revere, William Dawes Paul Revere, William Dawes andand Dr. Dr.

Samuel PrescottSamuel Prescott, alarmed the countryside path of , alarmed the countryside path of Lexington to ConcordLexington to Concord

RevereRevere was was capturedcaptured and and confessed confessed that “if I have known that “if I have known people had been sent out to give information to the people had been sent out to give information to the country, and time enough to get 50 miles, I would have country, and time enough to get 50 miles, I would have ventured one shot from you, before I would have suffered ventured one shot from you, before I would have suffered you to have stopped me” to the British officersyou to have stopped me” to the British officers

Revere became the Revere became the inquisitorinquisitor while the British officers while the British officers grew agitated and disturbed by the unwelcome news that grew agitated and disturbed by the unwelcome news that Revere brought themRevere brought them

Revere was searched for weapons but none were found, if Revere was searched for weapons but none were found, if he had been carrying arms, the story of the he had been carrying arms, the story of the midnight ridemidnight ride might have ended differentlymight have ended differently

The CaptureThe CaptureOf Paul RevereOf Paul Revere

Revere was Revere was questioned questioned and and threatened threatened by Major by Major Edward Mitchell and replied boldly “I call myself a Edward Mitchell and replied boldly “I call myself a man of truth, and you have stopped me on the man of truth, and you have stopped me on the highway, and made me a prisoner I knew not by what highway, and made me a prisoner I knew not by what right. right. I will tell the truth, for I am not afraidI will tell the truth, for I am not afraid.”.”

Revere’s mission was to move the British away from Revere’s mission was to move the British away from Lexington, away from Hancock and Adams, the two Lexington, away from Hancock and Adams, the two Whig leadersWhig leaders

Upon hearing Revere’s warning about the American’s Upon hearing Revere’s warning about the American’s preparation and the outburst volley in Lexington, the preparation and the outburst volley in Lexington, the British officers decided to gallop fast back to warn the British officers decided to gallop fast back to warn the commanders of the marching column so they commanders of the marching column so they released their captives: released their captives: Revere, Loring, Brown, Revere, Loring, Brown, and and SandersonSanderson

The RescueThe RescueOf John Hancock, Sam Adams, a Salmon, and a Of John Hancock, Sam Adams, a Salmon, and a

TrunkTrunk Upon arriving at Jonas Clarke Upon arriving at Jonas Clarke

parsonage in Lexington, Paul parsonage in Lexington, Paul Revere urged Revere urged Hancock Hancock and and Adams Adams to leave immediatelyto leave immediately

After many attempts of convincing After many attempts of convincing Hancock, the fugitives set off and Hancock, the fugitives set off and stayed at stayed at WoburnWoburn (Burlington) (Burlington)

In Woburn, Hancock sent his In Woburn, Hancock sent his coach back to Lexington for his coach back to Lexington for his Aunt Hancock, Aunt Hancock, his fiancée his fiancée ((Dorothy QuincyDorothy Quincy), and the), and the salmon salmon

Along with John Lowell, Hancock’s Along with John Lowell, Hancock’s confidential clerk, Revere had to confidential clerk, Revere had to rescue a rescue a trunk trunk that was said to that was said to contain the contain the innermost secretsinnermost secrets of of the Whig cause, and written the Whig cause, and written evidence that could incriminate evidence that could incriminate many leadersmany leaders

The RescueThe RescueOf John Hancock and Sam Of John Hancock and Sam

AdamsAdams

After hearing that the British are coming After hearing that the British are coming closer, closer, Hancock Hancock andand Adams fled Adams fled to the modest to the modest house of Amos Wyman in the Middlesex house of Amos Wyman in the Middlesex countrysidecountryside

At the Wyman, the fugitives were offered cold At the Wyman, the fugitives were offered cold boiled salt pork, brown bread, and potatoes – boiled salt pork, brown bread, and potatoes – the Middlesex ordinary dietthe Middlesex ordinary diet

April 19, 1775 “April 19, 1775 “A Glorious Day for AmericaA Glorious Day for America”” The gunshot in Lexington triggered the British The gunshot in Lexington triggered the British

officers to think that “officers to think that “the whole country was the whole country was alarmedalarmed” and that they better “” and that they better “galloped for galloped for their livestheir lives””