In the minds of most Americans, the name of Paul Revere forever conjures up the image of the lone patriotic rider shrouded in the darkness of the New England night. His mission: to inform the countryside that the Regulars are coming. On this night, the fate of the natural rights of all men in the new world seemed to rest on his shoulders. As terrifically romantic as this thought may be, it is far from the truth. Revere's midnight ride was anything but the heroics of just one man; rather, it can be much better summarized as the collective effort and doings of all New England Whigs.  

       Born January 1, 1735, Paul Revere was a silversmith and ardent colonialist. He took part in the Boston Tea Party and was principal rider for Boston's Committee of Safety. In that role, he devised a system of lanterns to warn the minutemen of a British invasion, setting up his famous ride on April 18, 1775.

Revere, who augmented his income by becoming an engraver and dentist, was the by the 1760s a master goldsmith, faring well in a city that was struggling economically, squeezed by British tax policies. His clients included both artisans like himself and the city's upper class, whose homes were adorned with Revere-made tea sets and spoons.