Paul Revere's midnight ride was an alert given to minutemen in the Province of Massachusetts Bay by local Patriots on the night of April 18, 1775, warning them of the approach of British Army troops prior to the battles of Lexington and Concord. In the preceding weeks, Patriots in the region learned of a planned crackdown on the Massachusetts Provincial Congress, then based in Concord, by the British authorities in the colony. Sons of Liberty members Paul Revere and William Dawes prepared the alert, which began when Robert Newman, the sexton of Boston's Old North Church, used a lantern signal to warn colonists in Charlestown of the British Army's advance by way of the Charles River.
Paul Revere, William Dawes and Samuel Prescott ride from Charlestown to Lexington warning "the regulars are coming out!"
Paul Revere, William Dawes and Samuel Prescott ride from Charlestown to Lexington warning "the regulars are coming out!" [1]
Historical Significance
Paul Revere's midnight ride was an alert given to minutemen in the Province of Massachusetts Bay by local Patriots on the night of April 18, 1775, warning them of the approach of British Army troops prior to the battles of Lexington and Concord.
Key People
Events Before
British House of Lords rules authors do not have perpetual copyright
Perpetual copyright, also known as indefinite copyright, is copyright that lasts indefinitely.
Chief Justice John Jay (28) weds Sarah Van Brugh Livingston (17)
Chief Justice John Jay (28) weds Sarah Van Brugh Livingston (17)
Boston Port Act: Following the passage of the act, the British government orders Port of Boston closed to punish colonis
Boston Port Act: Following the passage of the act, the British government orders Port of Boston closed to punish colonists for the Boston Tea Party
English chemist Joseph Priestley discovers oxygen by isolating it in its gaseous state
Joseph Priestley (24 March 1733 – 6 February 1804) was an English chemist, Unitarian, natural philosopher, separatist theologian, grammarian, multi-subject educator and classical liberal political...
Twelve of the thirteen American colonies adopt a trade embargo against Great Britain at the First Continental Congress i
Twelve of the thirteen American colonies adopt a trade embargo against Great Britain at the First Continental Congress in Carpenters' Hall, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Events After
United States Declaration of Independence
The Continental Congress adopts the Declaration of Independence, announcing the separation of the thirteen American colonies from Great Britain.
"Common Sense" pamphlet by Thomas Paine is published advocating American independence
Common Sense is a 47-page pamphlet written by Thomas Paine in 1775–1776 advocating independence from Great Britain to people in the Thirteen Colonies.
Adam Smith publishes the influential economics book "The Wealth of Nations"
Adam Smith (baptised 16 June [O.S. 5 June] 1723 – 17 July 1790) was a Scottish economist and philosopher who was a pioneer in the field of political economy and key figure during the Scottish…
Continental Congress creates committee to draft a Declaration of Independence with Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, Benjami
Continental Congress creates committee to draft a Declaration of Independence with Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, Roger Sherman, and Robert R. Livingston as members
Continental Congress resolves "these United Colonies are, and of right ought to be Free and Independent States"
The United Colonies of North-America was the official name as used by the Second Continental Congress in Philadelphia for the newly formed proto-state comprising the Thirteen Colonies in 1775 and...
More from the 1770s
United States Declaration of Independence
The Continental Congress adopts the Declaration of Independence, announcing the separation of the thirteen American colonies from Great Britain.
politics government
US founding father Thomas Jefferson (30) marries Martha Wayles Skelton (23)
Martha Skelton Jefferson was the wife of Thomas Jefferson from 1772 until her death in 1782. She served as First Lady of Virginia during Jefferson's term as governor from 1779 to 1781.
Date of action in Victor Herbert and Grant Stewart's opera "Madeleine"
Date of action in Victor Herbert and Grant Stewart's opera "Madeleine"
The London Credit Exchange Company issues the first traveler's cheques, which can be used in 90 European cities
The London Credit Exchange Company issues the first traveler's cheques, which can be used in 90 European cities
Frequently Asked Questions
- What happened on April 18, 1775?
- Paul Revere's midnight ride was an alert given to minutemen in the Province of Massachusetts Bay by local Patriots on the night of April 18, 1775, warning them of the approach of British Army troops prior to the battles of Lexington and Concord. In the preceding weeks, Patriots in the region learned of a planned crackdown on the Massachusetts Provincial Congress, then based in Concord, by the British authorities in the colony. Sons of Liberty members Paul Revere and William Dawes prepared the alert, which began when Robert Newman, the sexton of Boston's Old North Church, used a lantern signal to warn colonists in Charlestown of the British Army's advance by way of the Charles River.
- Why is Paul Revere, William Dawes and Samuel Prescott ride from Charlestown to Lexin... significant?
- Paul Revere's midnight ride was an alert given to minutemen in the Province of Massachusetts Bay by local Patriots on the night of April 18, 1775, warning them of the approach of British Army troops prior to the battles of Lexington and Concord.
- Who was involved in Paul Revere, William Dawes and Samuel Prescott ride from Charlestown to Lexin...?
- Key figures include Paul Revere (silversmith and military officer).