Mary Evelyn Notgrass McCurdy recites "Paul Revere's Ride" by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow.
On the evening of April 18, 1775, American colonists around Boston were waiting for news that British soldiers were on the move. Members of local militias known as Minutemen were ready to take action.
When the British started to leave Boston, Paul Revere and William Dawes started riding out to alert the Minutemen. They were joined by Samuel Prescott. Paul Revere was actually captured by the British, and Samuel Prescott was the only one who made it as far as Concord, Massachusetts. The Minutemen faced the British in the battles of Lexington and Concord on April 19.
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow visited the Old North Church and climbed its tower on April 5, 1860. He began writing this poem the next day. When it was published in January of 1861, America stood on the brink of another war.
Visit Homeschool History to find more resources about Paul Revere and the battles of Lexington and Concord.