The Midnight Ride of Paul Revere- Henry Wadsworth Longfellow April 18 1775

On April 5, 1860, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (1807-1882) climbed to the belfry of Boston's Old North Church, where almost a century earlier bells tolled the warning that the British were coming. The visit inspired him to write his classic poem that immortalized Paul Revere and the beginning of America's War of Independence. Illustrations by Charles Santore. Narration and Music Composition by Warren Oree. Musicians: Adam Faulk, piano; Greg "JuJu" Jones, drums and percussion; Warren Oree, acoustic bass.

Presidential Message on the 250th Anniversary of Paul Revere’s Midnight Ride, 2025
The White House
April 18, 2025
On the evening of April 18, 1775, two lanterns were illuminated from the tower of The Old North Church in Boston to alert the colonists that British forces were advancing across the Charles River. With the alert signal in place, Paul Revere, a silversmith dedicated to the cause of independence, mounted a borrowed horse and embarked on a midnight journey that became a defining moment in American history.
The dangerous mission was threefold. First, sound the alarm for colonists in farms and villages throughout the Massachusetts countryside. On the way, stop in Lexington to inform the leaders of the colonial resistance, Samuel Adams and John Hancock, that the British were coming to arrest them. Finally, prevent the seizure of military provisions and munitions stored a few miles west in the town of Concord.

Disregarding personal peril or consequence, Paul Revere rode with urgency into the night. After successfully warning Adams and Hancock, Revere was intercepted by a British patrol just before reaching Concord. Yet, Revere had already achieved his most important mission—relaying the news of the impending British advancement to his fellow patriots. Samuel Prescott and William Dawes evaded detection and carried the news on to Concord, giving the fledgling colonial army a critical advantage against the advancing Redcoats. Paul Revere’s Midnight Ride enabled our troops to prepare for battle and their eventual victory. By early the next morning, the first shots rang out in Lexington Green, signaling the start of the American Revolution.

In 1860, the American poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow immortalized “Paul Revere’s Ride” in a poem that generations of schoolchildren across America have read and recited. On this 250th anniversary, we remember the stirring words that so beautifully capture the urgency and heroism of that fateful night:

“Listen my children, and you shall hear
Of the midnight ride of Paul Revere…

A cry of defiance, and not of fear,
A voice in the darkness, a knock at the door,
And a word that shall echo forevermore!”

With these timeless verses, Longfellow ensured that Revere’s harrowing ride for freedom would never be forgotten.

Paul Revere was a master craftsman, a husband, a father, and a proud son of liberty, who risked his life to help forge a new Nation. His courageous ride ignited patriots across the colonies who rose up to defend their families, their livelihoods, and their sacred liberties. On the 250th anniversary of Paul Revere’s Midnight Ride, we commemorate the enduring legacy of the famed Boston silversmith, patriot, and revolutionary hero, whose passion for independence and bold act of defiance set in motion a war of independence that changed the course of history and transformed the world.