Paul Revere's Ride Sparknotes

Paul Revere Paper

Have you ever came to wonder about Paul Revere's ride? Paul Revere and the American Revolution, by Ethel Ames. This article was about Paul Revere and how he followed a path to warn Samuel and John about the British's coming. Paul Revere's Ride, by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. This poem was a summary about Paul Revere and his ride in 1775, but it is filled with many historical inaccuracies. How accurate was Longfellow's Poem?, by Franklin Johnson. This article is the explanation and tells why the previous poem was wrong and historically inaccurate. Longfellow's poem was not accurate because the lanterns didn't mean the way the British were going, there were actually three riders, and Paul Revere was only going to warn Samuel Adams and John Hancock not everyone.

First off, Longfellow´s poem was not accurate because there were actually three riders.

According to the poem, "Listen, my children, and you shall hear Of the midnight ride of Paul Revere..." But in the article by Johnson, "Longfellow didn´t mention Dawes and Prescott, two other riders on the same mission that night in 1775." This proves that it is not accurate because the historical events in the poem are not the same as the real event in the article by Ames.

Furthermore, Longfellow´s poem was not historically correct because Revere was only going to warn Samuel Adams and John Hancock not everyone. According to the poem, "... Ready to ride and spread the alarm Through every Middlesex village and farm, For the country folk to be up and arm." But in the article by Ames, "... Revere was sent to Lexington to warn the American leaders Samuel Adams and John Hancock that British troops were on their way to arrest them and seize weapons being stored in Concord." This shows that the poem does not have it's history right because it's not the

truth.

At last, Longfellow's poem was not accurate because the lanterns didn't mean a pathway or lead. According to the poem, "Hang a lantern aloft in the belfry arch Of the North Church tower as a signal light..." But in the article by Johnson, "... the lantern signal was not to inform Revere of which route the British were taking, but to let others know in case Revere was captured." This is important information because it cannot be a true historical poem when it doesn't have accurate information.

Therefore, Longfellow's poem was not historically accurate because Paul Revere was sent out on his mission to specifically warn Samuel Adams and John Hancock not the whole nation, on the fateful night there were actually three riders not just Paul Revere, and the lanterns were not a signal light they were to warn of capture. The importance of this is that the poem was not correct and people who read it should not take the information seriously and think it's true. Won't you take the vehement ride Paul Revere did on August 18, 1775!