Historical Overview

One of the earliest known documents with Revere’s signature, the 1750 Bellringer’s Agreement, is an example students can see of a contract agreement. At age 15, Revere joined some of his peers to form an official bellringer’s group at Christ Church in the City of Boston, now known as Old North Church. They agreed to ring the bells at certain times and special occasions, and set other rules and expectations for the group. During the Revolutionary War years, Paul Revere was a young professional, busy with his business, raising his family, and participating in various wartime efforts to break away from England’s rule. After the war ended and he entered middle age, he was better able to participate in the civic life of Boston and later Canton, MA.

In this source set, students are encouraged to “think big” about the societal problems people may have dealt with in the late 1700s and early 1800s. For example, sanitation! Revere’s service on the Board of Health in 1799-1800 included new regulations on when and how a person was allowed to clean out their privy and how to dispose of the contents. Though germ theory wasn’t understood at this time, people did understand that they should try to move waste away from their main living areas when possible. In two letters included in this source set, Revere is speaking on behalf of others, both of whom lived in Canton in the early 1800s. James Endicott suffered a massive fire on his property, destroying his house. The organization Paul wrote to, the Massachusetts Charitable Fire Society, could be considered an early insurance company, providing resources for those impacted by fires. The second letter, written on behalf of Deborah (Sampson) Gannett, outlines why she is deserving of a military pension, even though she technically served illegally.

All of these documents are from the mid/late 1700s into the early 1800s, with the exception of the bellringers document. Paul is in his 60s and 70s during these years.

Click here for a downloadable version of the Citizenship timeline

Close Reading Questions

• Deborah Sampson Letter:
  • What arguments did Paul Revere make in his effort to convince William Eustis to give Deborah Sampson a soldier’s pension?
  • Revere assures Eustis that although Deborah fought in the war, she does not act like a man but is instead feminine in both appearance and character. Why do you think Paul Revere felt the need to argue that Deborah Sampson was acting feminine now to justify his appeal for monetary aid for her? What standards of ‘ideal womanhood’ was Sampson expected to conform to to receive her pension?
• Bellringer’s Agreement:
  • What did the boys agree to do for the church?
  • Were the boys paid for their work?
  • What rules did they agree to follow?

Suggested Activities

• Deborah Sampson Letter:
  • Paul Revere and Deborah Sampson may have occasionally met in taverns to chat. Imagine one of their conversations, writing the dialogue as a scene in a play.
  • Pretend to be Deborah Sampson. Write your own letter to Eustis asking for a pension. How will you persuade him to give you the money you so desperately need?

Standards

• MA HSS 2018 Framework
  • Grade 1: Topic 1: Communities, elections, and leadership
  • Grade 1: Topic 4: Economics: resources and choices
  • Grade 2: Topic 5: Economics: resources and choices
  • Grade 3: Topic 1: Massachusetts cities and towns today and in history
  • Grade 8: Topic 4: Rights and Responsibilities of Citizens
  • Grades 6-8: Reading Standards for Literacy in Content Areas: CA-H