Paul Revere was an American Patriot who lived in the 18th and 19th century. He is the subject of Henry Wadsworth Longfellow’s “A Midnight Ride” one of the most famous American poems. He was known as a son of liberty and was a key person in America’s fight for liberty. Revere was a messenger, a silversmith, a dentist, even a writer, but through all of his professions, duties and responsibilities Paul Revere remained loyal, brave and committed to his country
Paul Revere was born in Boston in late 1734, at this point in history America belonged to the British and the colonists were for the most part, content. Revere attended the North Writing School in Boston and then was taught by his father to be a silversmith. Revere’s father died when he was young and Paul took over his trade and became the head of his household. In 1756, at age 21, Paul Revere joined the French and Indian Wars. The Canadians who at this time were owned by the French continuously attacked British America. These wars often mirrored what was happening in Europe 3,000 miles away. Revere returned to Boston in the winter and married Sarah Orne and went back to silversmithing.
In 1763 the French and Indian War ended, the colonies were victorious. However, England’s treasury had been severely depleted by the many wars it had been involved in and England decided to replenish her coffers by taxing the colonies. In 1765 Britain imposed a tax- The Stamp Act; this meant that all papers (marriage certificates, newspapers, bills of sale, had to have a special English stamp on them to be legal). Unrest was in the air now. The colonists were furious about this tax especially as they had no representative in the British Parliament. When ships carrying the stamps arrived in Boston Paul Revere, Sam Adams and many other Patriots formed a group named “The Sons of Liberty”. This group marched through the streets protesting the Stamp Act. They must have made