Lecture Series

Paul Revere's Midnight Ride: Dispelling the Myths

Tuesday, April 25, 2006, 8 p.m.

Patrick M. Leehey, Research Director, Paul Revere House

According to the traditional story of Paul Revere's famous ride, on the evening of April 18, 1775, Revere waited impatiently "booted and spurred" on the Charlestown shore, across the river from Boston. Looking up, he saw two lanterns shining in the Old North Church tower. Leaping on his horse, he then rode through the countryside shouting "The British are coming! The British are coming!"

In fact, the scene described above never occurred. Paul Revere was probably still in Boston when the signals were shown in the Church tower. Revere already knew which way the troops were marching. The signals were for the Sons of Liberty in Charlestown in case Revere was prevented from leaving Boston. In addition, Revere never shouted "The British are coming! The British are coming!" This wouldn't have made much sense at the time, since all of the inhabitants of Massachusetts were British in 1775!

In this slide lecture, Patrick M. Leehey, Research Director at the Paul Revere House, will discuss these and many other myths and misconceptions about Paul Revere, and review the life and times of one of the most famous (and least understood) figures in American history.

Patrick M. Leehey is Research Director at the Paul Revere House, where he has been on the professional staff for twenty years. Mr. Leehey attended the University of Massachusetts at Boston, where he received a B. A. in history, and Northeastern University, where he received an M. A. in history and a Certificate in Museum Studies.

From 1986 to 1988, Mr. Leehey served as co-curator of the award winning exhibition Paul Revere -- Artisan, Businessman and Patriot: The Man Behind the Myth, installed at the National Heritage Museum in Lexington, Massachusetts in 1988-89.

Mr. Leehey's publications include "Reconstructing Paul Revere: An Overview of His Ancestry, Life and Work," in Paul Revere -- Artisan, Businessman and Patriot: The Man Behind the Myth (1988); "Documentary Printed Sources for the Life and Voyages of Christopher Columbus," in Discovery in the Archives of Spain and Portugal: Quincentenary Essays 1492-1992 (1993); "Myths and Realities along Boston's Freedom Trail," in History Today (1994); What Was the Name of Paul Revere's Horse? Twenty Questions About Paul Revere - Asked and Answered (1997); and "The DAR and the Restoration of the Paul Revere House 1902-1908" in American Spirit Magazine (July/August, 2004).

Mr. Leehey has lectured widely in the Boston area on topics related to Paul Revere, the colonial and Revolutionary War eras, and the history of Boston from the late seventeenth to the early twentieth centuries.

More information about the Paul Revere House is available on their websit: www.paulreverehouse.org.

The lecture will be held at the Smith Museum, adjacent to the Jason Russell House. Admission is free and seating is unreserved. The lecture will take place at 8:00 p.m. with doors open at 7:30. Wheelchair access is at the Jason Terrace entrance. Directions