revere, paul

Revere, Paul (1735-1818) Silversmith, Engraver: Born in Boston, Revere studied the silver trade with his father. He took over the family shop in 1754, and soon was one of the leading artisans in the city. After the passage of the Stamp Act in 1765, Revere joined several patriot organizations, using his artisan skills to engrave political cartoons. He became a leader of the Sons of Liberty, and took part in the Boston Tea Party of 1773. Revere also rode as a courier for the Massachusetts committee of correspondence and printed money for the provincial congress. His most famous action in service to the revolutionary cause, however, was his midnight ride on April 18-19, 1775. Revere rode to Lexington, Massachusetts to warn the colonists that the British were marching to confiscate munitions stored at Concord. During the war, Revere founded a powder mill in Canton and was a militia officer, although both the expeditions in which he participated were unsuccessful. After the war, Revere became a prosperous businessman, and, in 1791, established the first copper rolling mill in America.