Wednesday, April 18, 2012

Today in History - April 19, 1775 - The American Revolution Begins

"The British are coming. The British are coming." The famous words of Paul Revere. Henry Wadsworth Longfellow wrote about this event. Here is the last stanza of his poem entitled 'The Midnight Ride of Paul Revere"


So through the night rode Paul Revere;
And so through the night went his cry of alarm
To every Middlesex village and farm,---
A cry of defiance, and not of fear,
A voice in the darkness, a knock at the door,
And a word that shall echo for evermore!
For, borne on the night-wind of the Past,
Through all our history, to the last,
In the hour of darkness and peril and need,
The people will waken and listen to hear
The hurrying hoof-beats of that steed,
And the midnight message of Paul Revere.



Today in History, Paul Revere made his famous ride from Boston to Concord, alerting people that the British were coming. If the British were to come by land, Paul's friend was to put a lantern in the belfry of the church. If the British were coming by sea, his friend was to put two lanterns in the belfry. Paul Revere rowed out on the water. He was able to see the lantern of the belfry of the church from a distance. As the British began to come over, Paul's friend put two lanterns in the belfry. Now Paul Revere was aware of how the British were coming over; by sea! Paul took off and warned the people of the British coming. That was the beginning of the American Revolution. Would America ever be totally free from the rulership of England?



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