Paul Revere’s midnight ride began on April 18, 1775, when Patriot messengers warned Massachusetts communities that British troops were moving toward Concord. The ride continued into the early hours of April 19.
Revere and William Dawes were sent from Boston to alert John Hancock and Samuel Adams in Lexington. A third rider, Samuel Prescott, later joined them and successfully reached Concord after Revere and Dawes were detained by a British patrol.
The warning system had begun with a signal from Boston’s Old North Church. Sexton Robert Newman displayed lanterns to indicate that British troops were traveling by water across the Charles River. Revere then crossed the river and rode through nearby towns, helping mobilize local militia.
The ride is often remembered through Henry Wadsworth Longfellow’s 1861 poem, which helped make Revere the central figure in popular memory. Historically, several riders participated, and Revere did not complete the entire route to Concord. Their warnings helped prepare Patriots for the Battles of Lexington and Concord on April 19.