Reenactment of Paul Revere's historic ride takes place in Boston
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Updated: 11:45 AM EDT Apr 19, 2025
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MARY YEAH, HE DID JUST ABOUT AN HOUR AGO. YOU KNOW, THE POET LONGFELLOW. YOU KNOW, FOREVER. PUT THAT MIDNIGHT RIDE INTO OUR MINDS AND OUR HEARTS. BUT TONIGHT WE ACTUALLY GOT TO SEE HOW THAT MIGHT HAVE UNFOLDED HAD WE BEEN ALIVE 250 YEARS AGO. TAKE A LOOK AT THIS. ONE HOUR AGO, PAUL REVERE DID ARRIVE BY HORSE HERE AT THE HANCOCK-CLARKE HOUSE TO ALERT THE MINUTEMEN THAT THE BRITISH ARE COMING. THAT HISTORIC RIDE, OF COURSE, STARTED IN THE NORTH END OF BOSTON EARLIER TONIGHT. PAUL REVERE KISSING WIFE RACHEL GOODBYE, EMBARKING ON A LIFE THREATENING AND NATION BUILDING SECRET MISSION. THE NORTH END CROWD CHEERED HIM ON TONIGHT AS HE MADE HIS WAY TOWARD THE OLD NORTH CHURCH. WHAT DO WE THINK ABOUT THE ENGLISH? WELL, WE WANT OUR RIGHT, SIR. WE WANT OUR LIBERTIES AS ENGLISHMEN. 250 YEARS AGO, IT WOULD HAVE BEEN THE DEAD OF NIGHT AND QUIET. REVERE HIMSELF HELPED DEVISE THE SIGNAL TO SOUND THE ALARM OVER WHEN AND HOW THE REDCOATS WOULD ADVANCE. IT WAS ONE LANTERN, IF BY LAND, TWO IF BY SEA. A LOT OF FOLKS THINK THAT THE LANTERN SIGNAL IS TO REVERE, BUT IT’S ACTUALLY FROM REVERE. AND SO HE PASSES THE WORD TO A FRIEND. THEN TWO LANTERNS LIGHT UP IN THE BELL TOWER OF THE OLD NORTH CHURCH. THE BRITISH ARE COMING BY WATER ACROSS THE CHARLES RIVER TO CAMBRIDGE. PAUL HIMSELF ALSO TRAVELED BY WATER THAT NIGHT TO CHARLESTOWN, WHERE HE BORROWED A HORSE FROM JOHN LARKIN, THEN HEADED OUT FOR HIS LEGENDARY RIDE TO ALERT THE MINUTEMEN AT LEXINGTON AND CONCORD. AND TONIGHT, THOUSANDS GATHERED IN BOSTON, AND HERE IN LEXINGTON TO BE PART OF THIS AMAZING REENACTMENT. AND OF COURSE, THE SHOT HEARD ROUND THE WORLD IS NOW JUST HOURS AWAY. WE’RE LIV
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Reenactment of Paul Revere's historic ride takes place in Boston
Most people have learned about Paul Revere's midnight ride — Longfellow immortalized it in a poem — but Friday night, people got to see that pivotal night in American history recreated.During a reenactment of Paul Revere's midnight ride on Friday, spectators saw Revere leave his house, kiss his wife and seven children goodbye, then walk by Boston's Old North Church, where the legendary signal was given — one lantern if by land, two if by sea — warning of an oncoming British advance.The British ended up making their advance by water, meaning they crossed the Charles River into Cambridge. From there, they marched to Lexington and Concord.Around 8:15 p.m. Friday, spectators saw those two lanterns light up in the bell tower of the Old North Church."A lot of folks think that the lantern signal is to Revere, but it's actually from Revere," Old North Illuminated Executive Director Nikki Stewart said. "So he passes the word to a friend, so he quietly makes his way to the water, he gets in a rowboat, where he rows across to Charlestown, he picks up a horse at the Deacon Larkin House, then he's off on his ride."The reenactor playing Revere did not actually ride his horse all the way to Lexington, but he arrived there on horseback around 10 p.m. Friday. This is one of dozens of events to bring history to life, as Massachusetts commemorates the 250th anniversary of the American Revolution. On Saturday, groups will reenact the battles of Lexington and Concord.
BOSTON —
Most people have learned about Paul Revere's midnight ride — Longfellow immortalized it in a poem — but Friday night, people got to see that pivotal night in American history recreated.
During a reenactment of Paul Revere's midnight ride on Friday, spectators saw Revere leave his house, kiss his wife and seven children goodbye, then walk by Boston's Old North Church, where the legendary signal was given — one lantern if by land, two if by sea — warning of an oncoming British advance.
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The British ended up making their advance by water, meaning they crossed the Charles River into Cambridge. From there, they marched to Lexington and Concord.
Around 8:15 p.m. Friday, spectators saw those two lanterns light up in the bell tower of the Old North Church.
"A lot of folks think that the lantern signal is to Revere, but it's actually from Revere," Old North Illuminated Executive Director Nikki Stewart said. "So he passes the word to a friend, so he quietly makes his way to the water, he gets in a rowboat, where he rows across to Charlestown, he picks up a horse at the Deacon Larkin House, then he's off on his ride."
The reenactor playing Revere did not actually ride his horse all the way to Lexington, but he arrived there on horseback around 10 p.m. Friday.
This is one of dozens of events to bring history to life, as Massachusetts commemorates the 250th anniversary of the American Revolution. On Saturday, groups will reenact the battles of Lexington and Concord.
