Paul Revere

Paul Revere was the son of Apollos Rivoire, a French immigrant, and Deborah Hichborn. Deborah was a Boston native and the daughter of an artisan family. Appollos became a goldsmith after a long apprenticeship and when old enough, Paul apprenticed with him. Paul grew up to be a serious and commited artisan.

By 1760 Revere was fairing very well in a city that was struggling economically, squeezed by British tax policies, having augmented his income by becoming an engraver and a dentist, as well as a master goldsmith. His clients usually included artisans and the upper class. He soon joined the freemasons and befriended activists like himself, including James Otis and Dr. Joseph Warren. As tensions grew between the colonies and the British, Revere was chosen to spy on the British` soldiers and report their movement. In addition to this, he worked as a courier to the Boston Committee of Correspondence and the Massachusetts.

In an act of defiance, Paul and others dumped tea into the Boston Harbor, launching the Boston Tea Party

When Paul's wife of 16 years, Sarah Orne, died, leaving him with 8 children, he was quick to remarry. After his previous wife's unexpected death, Paul married Rachel Walker with whom he had another 8 children.

At 10:00 PM on April 18, 1775, Revere rode to Lexington to warn Samuel Adams and John Hancock of the approaching British soldiers. The Battle at Lexington then ensued and the American revolution along with it. During the war, Paul manufactured gunpowder and cannons for the Continental Army, printed the countries first money, and commanded the Castle William at the Boston Harbour. He later died in Boston on May 8, 1815, at the age of 80