About Item:

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow wrote and published Paul Revere’s Ride locally in 1860. It was published nationally in the January issue of the Atlantic Monthly in early 1861. Longfellow wanted to write a fascinating story that would inspire individuals to take action as the United States was about to enter into another war – the Civil War.

Read full poem here

Glossary Terms:

• Belfry—The part of the bell tower where the bells are hung
• Middlesex—A county in Massachusetts
• Moorings—The ropes, chains, or anchors that hold a ship to a dock
• Grenadiers—A soldier who has grenades
• Sentinel—A soldier whose job it is to keep watch
• Impetuous—Acting quickly, without thought or care
• Spectral—Like a ghost
• Fleet—Fast and nimble
• Alders—A type of tree
• Weathercock—Weather vane

From the collection of Paul Revere Memorial Association