Paul Revere

"Indeed, you and I will cross the Charles river and rouse the boys. William, I need you to take the overland route and do the same. Robert, I need you up in Christ Church. Light the signal. Two lanterns - our enemy comes by sea! No time for dawdling, my friend! We have lives to save."

- Paul Revere to Connor, Robert Newman, and William Dawes concerning the Midnight Ride

Paul Revere (1735 – 1818) was an American silversmith and a leading figure in the Sons of Liberty. In addition, he was a member of the Continental Congress and a participant in the Boston Tea Party.

Revere retains fame for his "Midnight Ride" of 18 April 1775, in which he took credit for the ride of who alerted Continental Army troops of approaching British Army forces before the battles of Lexington and Concord.

Early life
Revere was born in the North End of Boston, Massachusetts, on 21 December 1734 to Apollos Rivoire and Deborah Hitchborn. At age 13, Paul left his school life to become an apprentice of his father, who was a silversmith. Unfortunately, when Apollos passed away in 1754, Paul was unable to legally obtain control over the silversmith business.

A few years later, during the French and Indian War, Paul elected to enlist in the Provincial Army in February of 1756. Initially commissioned as a second lieutenant in a provincial artillery regiment, he was stationed at in New York.

However, life in the army did not last long for Revere, and he ended up back in Boston to reclaim the title of silversmith, only this time under his own name. Once back in Boston, Paul married Sarah Orne, who ended up mothering eight children.

Joining the Revolution
"A request for aid from Paul Revere. Seems the Redcoats are up to something in Boston. Guess you made an impression on the Sons of Liberty."

- Achilles Davenport sending Connor to Paul's aid. Paul Revere became involved in the American Revolution around 1765 during the. Although Paul was not a part of the original set of Stamp Act protesters, he was connected with those involved with the movement.

In 1765, a group of militants formed what was known as the Sons of Liberty. Although Paul was not involved with the protesters of the Stamp Act, he did join the Sons of Liberty. From 1765 on, Paul was involved with the Sons by producing engravings or artifacts with political themes. However, Revere's duties did not stop at simple anti-British propaganda, and he also helped lead the Boston Tea Party.

Midnight Ride
"Aye. He's readying an assault on Lexington, where Adams and Hancock have taken shelter. After that, he will march on Concord - hoping to destroy our weapons and supplies. You must help us!"

- Paul pleading for help from Connor.

During the American Revolutionary War, Revere became an associate of the Assassin Connor. On 18 April 1775, he was one of several riders sent to warn Lexington and Concord of a coming military raid. Revere was tasked to ride to the Frontier to rally the Patriot troops. His message was to repel the Regular advance for Samuel Adams and John Hancock. However, the rallying of Patriots was not the only cause for the ride, as it enabled Connor to assassinate the British officer Jonathan Pitcairn.

The beginning of the ride went smoothly as Revere and Connor rallied Patriots without any detection from the Regulars. However, at one of the later homes visited, they were surprised to see the British already waiting for them. Revere and Connor escaped and made their way to the final home, in which they found their contact, Samuel Prescott, and his fiancee.

After warning Prescott, Revere and Connor reached the Hancock-Clarke House in Lexington, where they met with Adams and Hancock and warned them to leave. Once their mission of warning the Patriots was complete, Revere and Dawes continued on to Concord, leaving Connor and John Parker to defend the town.

Later life
After the conclusion of the American Revolutionary War, Revere opened up his own hardware and home-goods store in Boston. By 1788, Revere had invested the money he had earned through his silver-work into purchasing a large furnace. This attributed to his opening of an iron factory in Boston's North End, which produced utilitarian cast items.

After deciding to expand his business, Revere entered the realm of bell forging, eventually making the bell for King's Chapel. Following his success in bell making, Paul joined up with his sons to create the Paul Revere & Sons Firm.

In 1792, Paul found other uses for his furnace, and moved on to create the Revere Copper & Brass Inc. Revere remained politically active until his death on 10 May 1818, at the age of 83.

Legacy
Throughout his life, Revere was a silversmith, politician, Patriot, entrepreneur, and also worked in many other trades according to what made the most profit. Although Revere is most notably recognized for his Midnight Ride, he also assisted the Sons of Liberty in many of the Rebel acts that proved to be essential in the quest for freedom.

Revere remains an iconic historical figure in American history for serving a key role in the fight for freedom. Additionally, the Revere's home became one of the earliest historic house museums in the United States.

Trivia

 * Historically, Revere only rode from Cambridge to Boston during the Midnight Ride.

Reference

 * Assassin's Creed III