Paul Revere Didn't Finish His Ride (And That's Okay)
The most famous ride in American history that nobody heard about until 60 years later. Let's talk about what Longfellow got wrong.
Paul Revere Didn’t Finish His Ride (And That’s Okay)
“Listen, my children, and you shall hear / Of the midnight ride of Paul Revere…”
Thanks to Henry Wadsworth Longfellow’s 1860 poem, Paul Revere’s midnight ride is one of the most famous events in American history. Problem is, almost nothing in the poem actually happened the way Longfellow describes it.
What Actually Happened
April 18, 1775. British troops are preparing to march to Concord to seize colonial weapons. The patriot spy network gets wind of it. Someone needs to warn the countryside.
Paul Revere volunteers. So does William Dawes. And later, Samuel Prescott.
Revere rows across the Charles River (nearly getting caught), borrows a horse, and starts riding toward Lexington. He does warn people along the way. He does reach Lexington. He does tell Samuel Adams and John Hancock that the British are coming.
But then… he gets captured.
The Part Longfellow Left Out
After warning Adams and Hancock, Revere, Dawes, and Prescott continue toward Concord. They run into a British patrol. Prescott escapes and completes the ride to Concord. Dawes escapes but doesn’t make it to Concord. Revere gets detained.
The British question him, take his horse, and eventually release him. He walks back to Lexington, helps Adams and Hancock escape, and witnesses the Battle of Lexington from a distance.
So: Paul Revere didn’t finish the ride. Didn’t make it to Concord. Didn’t single-handedly warn the countryside. Got his horse stolen by the British.
So Why Do We Remember Him?
Because Longfellow needed a hero for his poem. Because “Revere” rhymes better than “Prescott.” Because poetry is about narrative, not accuracy.
But here’s the thing: the real story is better. Multiple riders. A sophisticated warning system. A network of patriots working together. That’s more impressive than one guy on a horse.
The Irony
Nobody really cared about Paul Revere’s ride until Longfellow wrote his poem in 1860 - 85 years after it happened. Revere was known in his lifetime as a silversmith and revolutionary, not for this specific ride.
The poem made Revere famous. It also made the history wrong.
Visit the Real Sites
On my Freedom Trail tours, we visit Paul Revere’s house. We talk about what he actually did (which was a lot). We discuss the mythology vs. reality. We explain why the truth is more interesting than the legend.
Because Paul Revere doesn’t need to be mythologized. He was already a badass.
Want to learn more history that doesn’t match the textbooks? Book a Freedom Trail tour or follow @jeremiahpoope on TikTok.