Paul Revere, American engraver and soldier (b. 1735)
Paul Revere (; December 21, 1734 O.S. (January 1, 1735 N.S.) – May 10, 1818) was an American silversmith, engraver, early industrialist, Sons of Liberty member and Patriot in the American Revolution. He is best known for his midnight ride to alert the colonial militia in April 1775 to the approach of British forces before the battles of Lexington and Concord, as dramatized in Henry Wadsworth Longfellow's 1861 poem, "Paul Revere's Ride".
At age 41, Revere was a prosperous, established and prominent Boston silversmith. He had helped organize an intelligence and alarm system to keep watch on the British military. Revere later served as a Massachusetts militia officer, though his service ended after the Penobscot Expedition, one of the most disastrous campaigns of the American Revolutionary War, for which he was absolved of blame.
Following the war, Revere returned to his silversmith trade. He used the profits from his expanding business to finance his work in iron casting, bronze bell and cannon casting, and the forging of copper bolts and spikes. In 1800, he became the first American to successfully roll copper into sheets for use as sheathing on naval vessels.
1818May, 10
Paul Revere
Choose Another Date
Events on 1818
- 12Feb
Chilean Declaration of Independence
Bernardo O'Higgins formally approves the Chilean Declaration of Independence near Concepción, Chile. - 4Apr
Flag of the United States
The United States Congress adopts the flag of the United States with 13 red and white stripes and one star for each state (then 20). - 16Apr
Rush-Bagot Treaty
The United States Senate ratifies the Rush-Bagot Treaty, establishing the border with Canada. - 20Apr
Trial by battle
The case of Ashford v Thornton ends, with Abraham Thornton allowed to go free rather than face a retrial for murder, after his demand for trial by battle is upheld.