Paul Revere's Ride Summary

According to David Hackett Fischer, author of Paul Revere’s Ride, Paul Revere was extraordinary, yet practical; he was intelligent, but lacked a college education. This silversmith was an independent Bostonian whose complexity resembled “the nation that he helped create” (4-5). A new Paul Revere, neither romanticized nor idolized, is revealed to the reader –he is introduced as a reactionary determined to protect the Bostonian lifestyle. Fischer not only relays the importance of Revere, but also mentions other important figures and events that impacted the first volley of the American Revolution. Boston was the heart of the Revolution, and two men, Paul Revere and General Sir Thomas Gage, felt the tension rising within Boston’s city limits. Both were well-respected within their separate communities, prided themselves on

These men sought for a greater sense of autonomy they experienced before the end of The French and Indian War. This autonomy, or benign neglect, led to the creation of a unique self-governing system with cultural differences between Colonial America and England. After Parliament’s lengthy absence, followed by abrupt reappearance, `The threat to colonial American lifestyle was the main reason for rebellion within Boston making the subjects conservative reactionaries because they fight for the way of life that was robbed from them. Some might argue the New England Whigs are radical revolutionaries, but a radical revolutionary must believe they are revolutionizing their society’s political and social structure. Generally, in 1775, most who opposed the Crown did not yearn for a new society; rather, they defended their traditional form of self-government. In modern times, it is easy to label the New England Whigs of 1775 as radical revolutionaries due to the understood outcome of the war, but one cannot insert knowledge of the future when analyzing the