We followed the route of Revere’s famous midnight ride. Along the way we spoke to many Americans who felt a sense of wonder about that April night.
Of all the moonlit nights in American history, one in particular has gripped the public imagination. On April 18, 1775, a 40-year-old Boston silversmith named Paul Revere borrowed a horse and sped west to warn his fellow colonists. A looming threat had spurred his urgent errand. The British were coming.
Exactly 250 years later, Revere’s midnight ride still resonates for many along his 16-mile route — a symbol of enduring American values, and a reminder of the heavy costs the country’s founders were willing to pay in pursuit of freedom and autonomy.
“It can’t be overstated, the risk that he was taking,” said Nikki Stewart, director of Old North Illuminated, the nonprofit that oversees historic Old North Church in Boston. “To leave the comfort and safety of his home, his wife and seven children, in the middle of the night — it’s a profound level of conviction.”
As a flurry of events kicked off this month, marking the 250th anniversary of the start of the American Revolution, we set out to retrace Revere’s route in Massachusetts, asking people along the way what his ride means to them — or if they even know about it.
At rain-swept intersections where protesters gathered, in cozy diners and on pristine town commons, we found people of all backgrounds who still felt a sense of awe about that April night, and who take deep pride in living in the place where America began.
