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Paul Revere is Born
Paul Revere was born on the North End of Boston in late December 1734, however the exact date is a mystery, some even say he was born on January 1, 1735 based on when he was baptized. Rever's father was a French immigrant named Apollos Rivoire, and his mother, Deborah Hichborn, was from Boston. Paul Revere was the second oldest of 12 children, and the eldest surviving son. His father was a silversmith who had left France as a refugee from religious persecution. -
Paul Carries on the Family Trade
Paul had attended the North Wirting School between the ages of 7 and 13 because his father planned for him to continue the silversmith trade. In 1754, the exact date is not known, at the age of nineteen, Pauls father died and he took over the family business. To provide for his large family, he had to use his knowledge and resources to create new business and make enough money to support his family's financial needs. He became well known in Boston for his silverware and tea sets. -
Paul Revere Joins the Sons of Liberty
In the summer of 1765, a group of Patriotic shopkeepers and artisans started an anti-Stamp Act group in Boston, they called themselves the Loyal Nine. As the group began to grow, they became known as the Sons of Liberty. They were a nonviolent and secretive party. These were not the leading men in Bosoton until John and Samuel Adams joined. In December of 1173, silversmith, Paul Revere joined the group and participated in many of their protests, including the Boston Tea Party. -
Revere Bcomes A Member of the First Patriot Intelligence Network: "The Mechanics"
The first Patriot intellegence network on record was a secret group in Boston known as the 'mechanics' (as in the skilled laborers and artisans who made up the network). They were an organized resistance to British authority. Paul Revere said, "in the Fall of 1774 and winter of 1775, I was one of upwards of thirty, chiefly mechanics, who formed ourselves into a Committee for the purpose of watching British soldiers and gaining every intelligence on the movements of the Tories." -
The Infamous Midnight Ride
Paul Revere is most known for his midnight horseback ride before the battle of Lexington and Concord. The Sons of Liberty, Revere and others, had kept the British troops under constant surveillance. Paul Revere and William Dawes were told by Doctor Joseph Warren to ride from Boston to Lexington to warn John Hancock and Samuel Adams of the movements of the British troops, which were headed to Lexington from Boston to arrest Adams and Hancock and take the weapons stored in Concord. -
Paul is Sent to Philadelphia
At the beginning of the Revolutionary War, the British held Boston captive, and all independence supporters were evacuated from the city. Revere and his family were living across the river in Watertown. In 1775, the Massachusetts Provincial Congress sent Revere to Philadelphia to study the working of the only powder mills in the colonies. Upon his arrival he met with Robert Morris and John Dickinson who gave him a letter to give to Oswald Eve. -
Revere Joins the Army
Lieutenant Revere's troops rebuilt Castle Island, Massachussetts in 1776, after it was destroyed by the British After he returned to Boston, he was commissioned a Major of infantry in the Massachusetts militia in April of the year. In November, he was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant Colonel of artillery, and was stationed at Castle William, defending Boston harbor, finally receiving command of this fort. Revere's poor military career ended in 1778. -
Joins the Massachusetts Committee of Correspondence
On 2 November 1772, a committee is born when the Boston selectmen vote to establish a twenty-one-member Committee of Correspondence. The group was cfreated to deal with issues including the various acts placed upon Boston by the British. In 1776, Revere was selected as a member of this committee. -
The Revere Copper Company
In 1801, Paul Revere started The Revere Copper Company in Canton, Massachusstts. It was America's first rolled copper mill. Revere rolled copper was used to cover the original wooden dome of the Massachusetts State House. Revere copper went through a series of mergers in 1928 and 1929, and became Revere Copper and Brass Inc. The company exists today as Revere Copper Products, with headquarters in Rome, NY and a plant in New Bedford, MA. -
Revere Dies
On May 10,1818, Paul Revere died at 83 in his home on Charter Street in Boston. He is buried in the Old Granary Burying Ground on Tremont Street.
