Paul Revere and the Minute Men

U.S. Landmark Books #4

by Dorothy Canfield Fisher

hardcover

Genres: History, American History, Nonfiction, Childrens, Biography

Library Binding

First published January 1, 1950

About the author

Also wrote under the name Dorothy Canfield.

Dorothy Canfield Fisher (February 17, 1879 – November 9, 1958) was an educational reformer, social activist, and best-selling American author in the early decades of the twentieth century. She strongly supported women's rights, racial equality, and lifelong education. Eleanor Roosevelt named her one of the ten most influential women in the United States. In addition to bringing the Montessori method of child-rearing to the U.S., she presided over the country's first adult education program and shaped literary tastes by serving as a member of the Book of the Month Club selection committee from 1925 to 1951.

(from Wikipedia)

Reviews

[Luisa Knight · Rating 4 out of 5]

About Landmark Books
"Each is a book that brings to life a great event or personality in our nation's past. Each is designed to be rich, rewarding reading, capable of stirring the heart as well as the mind. Each is intended to arouse in the reader not only an interest in the course of history, but also an understanding of how the democracy that is our heritage was forged."
-From one of the dust jackets

The Landmark Books for children are a great way to learn history! I can't say enough about these, and it's no wonder that they are highly sought after in the homeschool community. From what I’ve researched, I’ve found these books to be very historically accurate. It’s history told in nicely narrated story-form – a win!
Ages: 10+
Pages: approx. 175-200
Illustrations: some
Price Range: $4 – $125 depending on HC or PB, and the title and its rarity.

Planning a trip to Boston? We just visited and saw several historical sites mentioned in the book: watch my reel!

Content Considerations: Illustrations show boys naked swimming - you can see some behinds. Describes how Halloween used to be celebrated and compares it to Guy Fawkes' Day. Mentions drink, gambling and pipes. "Darned" is said. "Bl**dy" is used a few times to mean lots of blood.

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[Scott Hayden · Rating 4 out of 5]

Engaging account of Paul Revere from childhood until the beginning of the Revolution. Fascinating piecing together of both his family heritage (French immigrant father who fled the iron fist of the Roman Church) and the growing American discontent with the British Regular Army.

I like how Fisher emphasized that basically the American impression of the British was unfortunately based almost exclusively on their encounters with the less-than-worthy officers of the British Regulars. She brought out the clash of cultures, and made it seem more a clash of classes. Over and over we read of the British officers, who being from the landed lordly class, thought it admirable that they didn't have to do any work. Both the American common man and the few working class Englishman held the same opinion of people who didn't do any work: worthless! So while the British Army Regulars looked down on the population of Americans, the Americans who were mostly tradesmen looked with even more disdain on the British. What's more, again unfortunately, most of the British officers were certainly not the top of the class from officer school. The "lucky" officers got the privilege of fighting against lords like themselves in Europe. Getting sent to America to battle the dirty French traders or the "savage" Indians was almost an insult. This author certainly gave us reason to look beyond first and even second impressions and resist categorizing entire cultures.

Another theme I much appreciated was the "what's next" character of Paul Revere. The epitome of this trait emerged after his famous ride from Boston to Concord. When he had fulfilled his exhausting midnight assignment, instead of napping, he returned to Lexington to see how he might help next. I liked learning the little bits more of Paul's later life. He set aside silversmithing in order to devote his learning skills to support the war effort. From his experience working with metals he tackled the problems of how to manufacture copper sheets for ships, copper plates for printing money, canon production, and even gunpowder. What an incredible mind he had for learning. They gave him only one day to tour a gunpowder factory in Philadelphia, yet that was enough for him to sketch machines and factory plans.

Ending with reunion between family and their 16-year-old son who had been left in British-held Boston to guard their little silversmith shop and home was very touching.

[Jenny - Book Sojourner · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was chosen for our history studies this year. I loved Revere's story, as an adult. And my children loved it as well. I wish my history teachers gave me engaging books like this when I was growing up. I probably would have liked history a lot more. Landmark history books continue to impress us, and Paul Revere and the Minute Men was a wonderful addition to our history studies.

[TE · Rating 4 out of 5]

Just about everyone knows about the Midnight Ride of Paul Revere, but few know any other details of his life and times. This is another biography in the "Landmark" series, but it's more comprehensive than many of the others I've read in this series. It's probably intended for older children, perhaps high-school age, but it's a great edition for anyone who wants a succinct yet informative read on the life of this American icon.

Paul Revere (1 Jan. 1735-10 May 1818) was a famous American silversmith, military officer and Revolutionary War hero who is still a household name, although most people likely could not say anything about him other than a reference to his famous "one of by land, two if by sea" ride to alert the Minutemen of the approach of British troops just prior to the battles of Lexington and Concord.

Revere was born to French Huguenot Apollos Rivoire and Deborah Hitchborn, a descendant of an old Boston family which had owned a small shipping wharf. Paul's father had changed his name to Paul Revere, and named his eldest surviving son the same. Paul (along with his eleven siblings) was born in north Boston, and was apprenticed to his father as a silversmith at age thirteen. Revere's father died in 1754, when he was still too young to be the master of the family's silver shop, which was subsequently owned and operated by his mother.

Shortly after his father's death, Revere enlisted in the provincial army during the French and Indian War as a second lieutenant. He spent the summer at Fort William Henry on Lake George in New York, but only served a single enlistment before returning to Boston to assume his father's silver shop in his own name. He married Sarah Orne in 1757, but she died in 1773 at age 37. Despite some initial financial success, Revere's business, along with many others, began to suffer following the Stamp Act of 1765, and an attempt was even made to seize his property that year due to debt. It was then that Revere took up the practice of dentistry, which he was taught by a surgeon who was lodging at the home of a friend.

Even by that time, there were rumblings of revolution. Revere joined the Sons of Liberty in 1765, and began to produce engravings and other pieces featuring political themes. That included the famous depiction of the Boston Massacre in March, 1770, which was modeled on a drawing by Henry Pelham. Many of his original pieces are now featured in museums, and are highly sought after as collector's items. In 1770 Revere purchased a house on North Square in Boston's North End. Following the death of his first wife, with whom he had had eight children, in 1773, he soon married a second time, to a woman named Rachel Walker, with whom he had another eight children.

Revere's political leanings soon took a rather radical turn. He was one of the ringleaders of the Boston Tea Party in 1773, and served as a courier for the Boston Committee of Public Safety, traveling to New York and Philadelphia to report on happenings in Boston, a hotly contested political battleground. It has since been discovered that he undertook 18 such rides to report on the situation in Boston, at no little risk to his personal safety.

The political situation in Massachusetts had escalated to a boiling point. In 1774, the military governor of Massachusetts closed the port of Boston and even forced private citizens to quarter soldiers in their homes, which was a final straw for residents of the city. In fact, this is one of the chief complaints in the Declaration of Independence, demonstrating what an affront it was to the citizens of Massachusetts. By that time, it was clear that war was coming.

On the night of April 18, 1775, Paul Revere made his famous Midnight Ride, an alert to the colonial Minutemen, warning them of the approach of the British Army before the famous battles of Lexington and Concord, which was essentially the outbreak of the American Revolution, where "the shot heard 'round the world" was fired.

In the Massachusetts Bay Colony, all able-bodied men between 16 and 60 were required to participate and train in their local militia, but members of the Minutemen, as opposed to the regular militia, were more elite: they were not more than thirty years old, and were chosen for their physical prowess and political enthusiasm. Officers were elected by popular vote. The predecessor of the group was first formed in 1645, with the intent of forming a rapid deployment force, hence the name "minutemen," in the event of an emergency, which was much needed during the American Revolution.

In fact, Paul Revere's (and others it turns out) famous ride would probably have remained an obscure event in the long and complex history of the American Revolution were it not for a famous poem "Paul Revere's Ride" by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, first published in "The Atlantic Monthly" in 1861. Longfellow was reportedly inspired to write it after visiting the Old North Church and climbing its tower in 1860. Revere didn't actually become famous until after the Civil War, when the Colonial Revival Movement of the 1870s was in full swing.

Longfellow's poem is narrated by the landlord of the Wayside Inn, and recounts the (partly fictionalized) account of Paul Revere, who tells a friend to prepare signal lanterns in the Old North Church to inform him whether British forces would arrive by land or by sea. Revere then rides through Medford, Lexington and Concord to warn the Patriots of the British Army's imminent arrival.

The famous opening lines of the poem, "Listen my children, and you shall hear/Of the midnight ride of Paul Revere,/On the eighteenth of April, in Seventy-Five:/Hardly a man is now alive/Who remembers that famous day and year" used to be memorized and recited by school children, even if the tradition has now fallen out of favor. The famous line "One of by land, and two if by sea" is also famously associated with Revere.

Many have criticized the poem for its many inaccuracies, however. First and foremost: Revere wasn't alone, although Longfellow gave him sole credit for the actions of three riders. In fact, Revere was with two other men, William Dawes and Robert Newman, who was actually the one to use the lantern to signal residents in Charlestown of the British Army's advance by way of the Charles River. Revere and Dawes then rode to meet John Hancock and Samuel Adams, eventual signers of the Declaration of Independence, in Lexington, some ten miles away.

Revere didn't get away clean: he, Dawes, and another man, Samuel Prescott, were discovered by a British Army patrol. Prescott and Dawes escaped, but Revere was return to Lexington by the patrol to face interrogation. He was later freed. The team's efforts had successfully warned the Minutemen of the British Army's advance, however, which played a critical role in the victory of the Colonial army in the battles of Lexington and Concord. Some additional inaccuracies in the poem: the lantern signals in the Old North Church were actually FROM Revere, not intended FOR him. Revere also did not reach Concord that same night.

Notwithstanding the inaccuracies of the famous poem, Paul Revere was a real person, and his actions and those of his compatriots have inspired generations of young Americans. In 1883, Boston held a competition to design an equestrian statue of Revere. It was finally dedicated only in 1940, and still stands in "Paul Revere Plaza," opposite the Old North Church.

Perhaps demonstrating how mundane his ride was at the time, Revere was initially denied a commission in the Continental Army after the outbreak of the war. Instead, he was retained by the provincial congress as a courier. He also printed the local currency used to pay the troops in Massachusetts. In November, 1775, he was dispatched by the congress to Philadelphia to study a gunpowder mill, with the hope that he may be able to construct one in Massachusetts.

Although the owner was less than cooperative (he demanded a large bribe before he would show Revere the blueprints of the factory, which Revere refused), relying on his ingenuity and research skills, Revere eventually did establish a powder mill at Stoughton (modern-day Canton). This new factory produced tons of gunpowder for the Patriot war effort, a feat many have credited as a major factor in the Continental army's eventual victory over the British.

Despite his skills as an engineer, Revere was less than capable as an army officer. He was finally granted a commission as a major of infantry in the Massachusetts militia in April, 1776, and was promoted to lieutenant colonel in November. He continued to use his engineering knowledge, including to design a caliper to accurately measure cannonballs and cannon bore holes, but prowess on the field of battle eluded him. Following a disastrous campaign at the Penobscot River, formal charges were even levied against him, but he was exonerated in 1782.

After the war, Revere returned to the his long-held occupation, where he made numerous groundbreaking advancements. He invested in the construction of an iron foundry in the North End of Boston, making him an early industrial tycoon. Due in no small part to collaboration with other metal workers, Revere developed many new technologies throughout his career which advanced the science of metal casting, which led to Boston becoming a major industrial center.

In the early 1790s, Revere also became one of the country's foremost bell casters, founding with his sons a new company, Paul Revere & Sons, which cast the first bell made in Boston. He also became a pioneer in the production of rolled copper, opening the country's first copper mill, in Canton, Massachusetts. Copper from his company was used to cover the original wooden dome of the Massachusetts State house in 1802. This copper works company, founded in 1801, continues today as the Revere Copper Company, with divisions now in Rome, New York, and New Bedford, Massachusetts.

Paul Revere died at the age of 83, in 1818, at his home on Charter Street in Boston, with his legacy secure. He was laid to rest in the famous Granary Burying Ground on Tremont Street in Boston. His legacy would likely be assured even absent his famous Midnight Ride, on account of the many significant contributions he made to metallurgy and manufacturing during his lifetime. His descendants still bear his name, including Paul Revere Jr. and Paul Revere III, his fourth great-grandson.

This was a great overview of the life of Paul Revere, one of many who made great sacrifices in their efforts to found a new nation. He should be remembered, not only for his famous ride, but for the many contributions he made to Boston and Massachusetts, as well as to the sciences of metal casting, manufacturing and industry. This short but informative volume is a great introduction to his life and times, and is much more accessible to young audiences than a dry Wikipedia article.

[Yaaresse · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read a bunch of the Landmark series books as a kid. Our school library had a huge collection of them, so I just made my way down the shelves. I remember enjoying them, but I was too young at the time to question the narrative slant. I just liked reading biographies and histories, and there wasn't a lot of interesting non-fiction for kids at that time. Most of what did exist was either boring or more myth than fact. These books did not talk down to the reader, which I appreciated.

Each Landmark Book was written by a different author, each highly respected and invited to contribute to the series. There is a wonderful article on the Landmark Books series on the American Historical Association website: https://www.historians.org/publicatio...

I'm rating them on the memory of enjoyment alone, not on accuracy or how they would go over today. Fortunately, kids today have a lot better from which to choose.

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was written for a younger audience but had some good information. My biggest complaint about it was the fact it switched between historical narrative and fictional conversations about events without warning. An OK book, but not the best

[Laurie Wheeler · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love the Landmark Book Series written for the young and young at heart! These books are more historically accurate than many modern books. This one was written in 1950, capturing the spirit of '76 in Boston, Lexington, and Concord.

[Michaiah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fabulous. Definitely have the kids read this one next time we cycle through this time period.

[Rodney · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is number 4 in the Landmark American history series. It was a short biography of Paul Revere and included important events leading up to the American Revolution. I also realized this is the 250th anniversary of the Boston Tea Party. This book was full of interesting little details like the Indian disguise wasn’t near as good as depicted in the Walt Disney show, Paul yelled the Regularsnare out not the British are coming, and Paul Revere served but did not fight in the French and Indian War. Highly recommend this book for history lovers young and old.

[Jeri · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful YA book, written in 1950. Pen and ink illustrations, and the incomparable, folksy manner of third person omniscient narration. Paul Revere is described here as a hard working boy, young man, father, skilled silversmith and a Patriot. His heroic ride is described in heart pounding detail. How I wish books like this were still being written.

[Joshua Horn · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this to my kids, and they generally enjoyed it. It was well written, and at a good level. However, I thought that the author put far too many of her opinions in the minds and mouths of the colonial people, who likely thought significantly differently than she did. That's a huge danger of fictionalizing, which this book resorts to.

[Caleb Meyers · Rating 4 out of 5]

2 on research, 2 on logic, 2 on style, 1 on weight, 2 on affections. This book is basically a biography of Paul Revere for the first half of his life. He lived a stunning life, a great picture of American ingenuity--even before there was an America.

[Ruppert Baird · Rating 4 out of 5]

A typical overview for schoolchildren of pivotal characters in the story of America's birth.