This portrait of Paul Revere was painted in 1813, when he was in his late seventies, and thirty-eight years after his memorable ride. The war which began next morning ended in 1783, with London’s recognition of the United States of America. Fortunately, those in the new American Government who favoured a tie-up with France (at that time an absolute monarchy, but on the brink of bloody revolution and then Bonaparte’s grab for European empire) were ultimately outvoted by those favouring a resumption of good terms with London, for which we have George Washington to think in particular.
Introduction
Paul Revere, a Massachusetts silversmith and professional courier, was in the city of Concord when news came that Parliament had ordered the Army to move against its own people. With no time to lose, he was despatched on an errand which proved to be the spark that ignited a revolution.
FOLLOWING Samuel Adams’s ‘Boston Tea Party’ protest in 1773,* London quartered some three thousand soldiers from the Regular army all around the port, with orders to destroy the rebels’ stockpile of weapons at Concord, and arrest Adams and John Hancock, then in Lexington.
Paul Revere was hastily despatched on a midnight ride to Lexington, to warn Adams and Hancock, and to urge the people along his route, most of whom still thought of themselves as ‘British’, to decide what that really meant to them, before the Regulars came.
After he was captured by a patrol, he even warned the soldiers of the dangers they faced. But though they released him, they took no heed.
At dawn on April 19, 1775, even as Revere was smuggling Adams and Hancock out of the town, shots were fired on Lexington Common, and later at North Bridge in Concord; but by this time thousands had made up their minds that being ‘British’ meant being free.
The revolution had begun.
See The Boston Tea Party.
Archive
Word Games
Spinners Find in Think and Speak
For each group of words, compose a sentence that uses all three. You can use any form of the word: for example, cat → cats, go → went, or quick → quickly, though neigh → neighbour is stretching it a bit.
This exercise uses words found in the accompanying passage.
1 Capture. Destroy. Take.
2 Hasty. Make. Tea.
3 Dispatch. Shoot. Soldier.
Variations: 1. include direct and indirect speech 2. include one or more of these words: although, because, despite, either/or, if, unless, until, when, whether, which, who 3. use negatives (not, isn’t, neither/nor, never, nobody etc.)
Confusables Find in Think and Speak
In each group below, you will find words that are similar to one another, but not exactly the same. Compose your own sentences to bring out the similarities and differences between them, whether in meaning, grammar or use.
This exercise uses words found in the accompanying passage.
1.
Dusk.
Dawn.
2.
Each.
All.
3.
Rebel.
Repel.
4.
Revolutionary.
Rebel.
5.
Their.
They’re.
6.
Then.
Next.
7.
There.
Their.
8.
Town.
Village.
9.
Were.
We’re.
Statements, Questions and Commands Find in Think and Speak
Use each word below in a sentence. Try to include at least one statement, one question and one command among your sentences. Note that some verbs make awkward or meaningless words of command, e.g. need, happen.
This exercise uses words found in the accompanying passage.
1 Order. 2 Mind. 3 Destroy. 4 Fire. 5 People. 6 Quarter. 7 Ride. 8 Still. 9 Time.
Variations: 1. use a minimum of seven words for each sentence 2. include negatives, e.g. isn’t, don’t, never 3. use the words ‘must’ to make commands 4. compose a short dialogue containing all three kinds of sentence: one statement, one question and one command
High Tiles Find in Think and Speak
Make words (three letters or more) from the seven letters showing below, using any letter once only. Each letter carries a score. What is the highest-scoring word you can make?
x
0
Add
Your Words ()
If you like what I’m doing here on Clay Lane, from time to time you could buy me a coffee.
Buy Me a Coffee is a crowdfunding website, used by over a million people. It is designed to help content creators like me make a living from their work. ‘Buy Me a Coffee’ prides itself on its security, and there is no need to register.
Related Posts
A ‘slight and delicate’ Canadian woman defied twenty miles of rugged terrain in sweltering heat to warn of an impending attack by American invaders.
Picture: By Lorne Kidd Smith (1880-1966), via Wikimedia Commons. Licence: Public domain.. Source.
Posted February 2 2022
Prussia’s invasion of Silesia in 1740 plunged Europe into turmoil, and a French invasion of England became a very real threat.
Picture: By Samuel Scott (1702-1772), via Wikimedia Commons. Licence: Public domain.. Source.
Posted October 29 2018
In the year that Napoleon’s quest for European Empire faltered at Moscow, President Madison of the USA came to his aid.
Picture: © Peter K. Burian, Wikimedia Commons. Licence: CC BY-SA 4.0.. Source.
Posted May 8 2018
Georgian Britain braced for war as relations with France in North America, India and mainland Europe took a turn for the worse.
Picture: By Nicholas Pocock (1740–1821), via Wikimedia Commons. Licence: Public domain.. Source.
Posted March 6 2018