A Picture Book of Paul Revere

What I Learned Section 1 -- Answer the Following Questions:
1. When was Paul Revere born?
January 1, 1735. Paul Revere was born in Boston, Massachusetts, on January 1, 1735. This is New Year's Day! Paul was born on Fish Street located near Boston Harbor. It was a small, crowded house.

Paul was the second child and oldest son. He had eight brothers and sisters. Paul's parents were Paul and Deborah Revere. Did you know Paul's father's original name was Apollos Rivoire? He renamed himself Paul Revere in the 1720's.

Paul attended an "infant school" where he learned his ABC's and rules of good manners (like saying "please" and "thank you"). When Paul was seven or eight years old, he attended North Writing. It was an all-boys school. Paul learned to read, write, and do arithmetic.

In 1748, when Paul was thirteen years old, he left school and worked in his father silversmith's shop. On July 22, 1754, Paul's father died. Paul was the oldest son, and it was his responsibility to take care of his mother and siblings. He took over his father's silversmith shop with his brother, Thomas.

Paul met Sarah Orne at church. On August 4, 1757, Paul and Sarah were married. They lived with Paul's family on Fish Street. They had eight children. In 1773, Sarah died. It was just five months after giving birth to their last child, Isanna. Two of Paul's children, including Isanna, died at a young age.

In the summer of 1773, Paul met Rachel Walker. She helped him take care of his six children. On October 10, 1773, Paul and Rachel were married. They also had eight children. Three of them died young.

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2. True or False: When Paul Revere was born, Massachusetts was controlled by France.
False. When Paul Revere was born, Massachusetts was one of the thirteen American colonies. It was controlled by Great Britain. Did you know the other twelve colonies were New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia?

The territory to the north and west of Massachusetts was controlled by France. From 1689 to 1763, the French and Indian Wars were fought between Great Britain and France along the borders of the two territories. Native Americans fought for both Britain and France. The war was called the French and Indian Wars because Britain was fighting the French and Indians.

Did you know the French and Indian Wars were made up of four wars fought between 1689 and 1763? The first war was called King William's War from 1689 to 1697. The second war was called Queen Anne's War from 1702 to 1713. The third war was called King George's War from 1744 to 1748. The fourth war was called the French and Indian War from 1754 to 1763.

On February 18, 1756, Paul joined a Massachusetts regiment to fight for the British in the French and Indian War. He was twenty-one years old. Paul was made a second lieutenant in the artillery group. This regiment marched to Fort William Henry at Lake George, New York. They fought minor battles. In November, 1756, Paul and his regiment returned to Massachusetts.

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3. Which group stated "No taxation without representation?"
a) American colonists
b) British Redcoats
c) French and Indians
d) British Parliament

a) American colonists. In March, 1765, the British Parliament passed the Stamp Act. It was a tax on newspapers and other printed matter. The colonists thought these taxes were unfair because the colonies did not have a representative or voice in the British Parliament when these laws were passed. This led the colonists to demand "no taxation without representation."

The Sons of Liberty led protests against the Stamp Act. Paul was a member of the Sons of Liberty. In 1766, the Stamp Act was repealed (or ended) by the British Parliament.

The next year, in June, 1767, the Parliament passed the Townshend Acts. These were taxes on glass, lead, paint, paper, and tea.

On March 5, 1770, Britain repealed the Townshend Act, except for the tax on tea. Fights broke out on King Street in Boston between the colonists and British soldiers. Some soldiers fired their guns and killed five colonists (four men and one boy). This is known as the Boston Massacre.

Paul made an engraving of the massacre showing the soldiers firing their guns at peaceful colonists. Although this was not an accurate representation of what occurred on March 5, 1770, the image stirred up hatred for the British.

In 1773, three British ships carrying tea entered Boston Harbor. The Tea Act required the colonists to pay a tax on the tea, and the colonists refused to pay this tax. On December 16, 1773, Paul and a group of Bostonians disguised themselves as Native Americans, boarded the British ships, and dumped 342 chests of tea into the water. This is known as the Boston Tea Party.

On May 10, 1774, five thousand British soldiers arrived in Boston. They closed the harbor until the Bostonians paid for the tea. The Bostonians never paid for the tea, and the soldiers stayed in Boston.

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4. Which of the following did Paul Revere do?
a) Discover lightning was electricity by flying a kite and key during a thunderstorm.
b) Become a lawyer and serve as a member of the Virginia House of Burgesses.
c) Ride from Boston to Lexington to warn the American colonists the British were coming.
d) Lead the Continental Army during the American Revolution.

c) Ride from Boston to Lexington to warn the American colonists the British were coming. On the night of Tuesday, April 18, 1775, Paul and William Dawes rode to warn the American colonists the British were coming. Paul told Robert Newman to give a signal to indicate if the British were coming by land or by sea. The signal was to light one lantern in the spire of Christ Church if the British were coming by land, and two lanterns if they were coming by sea. Did you know the Christ Church is known as the Old North Church?

Paul left Boston by crossing the Charles River. William Dawes left Boston through the town gate. They met at Lexington to warn the colonists. Samuel Prescott joined Paul and William to ride to Concord. On their way to Concord, Paul was caught by British soldiers and William fell off his horse. Samuel Prescott reached Concord to warn the colonists.

Did you know Henry Wadsworth Longfellow wrote a poem about Paul Revere's ride in 1860? It is called "Paul Revere's Ride." The first stanza reads,

LISTEN, my children, and you shall hear
Of the midnight ride of Paul Revere,
On the eighteenth of April, in Seventy-Five;
Hardly a man is now alive
Who remembers that famous day and year.

On the morning of April 19, 1775, a shot rang out in Lexington. The American Revolution had begun. The American colonies were fighting for their independence. Did you know this war is known by different names? It is called the American Revolution, the Revolutionary War, and the War of Independence.

The fighting of the American Revolution continued until October 19, 1781, when the British surrendered to George Washington in Yorktown, Virginia. On September 3, 1783, the American Revolution officially ended when the Treaty of Paris was signed. In the Treaty of Paris, Great Britain recognized the independence of the colonies, and the United States of America was born.

The other choices to this question may seem familiar. That's because they were accomplished by other famous American Patriots. Ben Franklin discovered lightning was electricity by flying a kite and key during a thunderstorm. Patrick Henry became a lawyer and served as a member of the Virginia House of Burgesses. George Washington led the Continental Army during the American Revolution.

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5. What did Paul Revere do after the American Revolution?
a) He was elected the first President of the United States
b) He went back to work as a silversmith
c) He became the British Prime Minister
d) He was elected Governor of Virginia

b) He went back to work as a silversmith. Paul made large bells for church steeples. He sold playing cards, sealing wax, wallpaper, and cloth. He made parts for ships, including copper sheets to cover the bottom of American warships.

On June 26, 1813, Paul's wife, Rachel, died. On May 10, 1818, Paul Revere died in Boston, Massachusetts, after a long illness. He was 84 years old. He is remembered as an American patriot who helped his country win its independence.

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What I Learned Section 2 -- Define the following words:
Silversmith: A person who makes or repairs articles of silver

Sons of Liberty: A society of Americans who were against British rule in the colonies

Stamp Act: A tax on newspapers and other printed matter passed by the British Parliament in March, 1765

Townshend Acts: Taxes on glass, lead, paint, paper, and tea passed by the British Parliament in June, 1767

Boston Massacre: On March 5, 1770, a fight broke out in Boston between British soldiers and American colonists where the soldiers shot and killed five colonists

Minutemen: Colonial militia fighting against the British during the American Revolution

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Bonus Questions (Answer 1 of the Following Questions for Your FREE Bookmark):
a. Name ONE of Paul Revere's jobs.
Silversmith shop worker, bell ringer, second lieutenant, silversmith, goldsmith, teeth cleaner and maker, copper plate engraver, picture and business card printer, umbrella fixer, eyeglasses maker, member of the Sons of Liberty, and lieutenant colonel.

When Paul was thirteen years old, he left school and worked in his father's silversmith's shop.

When Paul was fifteen years old, he and six other boys rang eight large bells in the steeple of Christ Church.

In 1754, Paul's father died. Paul was the oldest son, and it was his responsibility to take care of his mother and siblings. He ran his father's silversmith shop with his brother, Thomas.

From February to November, 1756, Paul joined a Massachusetts regiment to fight in the French and Indian War. He was made a second lieutenant, and went to Fort William Henry at Lake George, New York.

Paul continued to work as a silversmith in his own shop. He made silver teapots, punch bowls, earrings, shoe buckles, clock faces, baby rattles, whistles, dog collars, and a chain for a pet squirrel. He worked six days a week. On Sundays, he attended church.

Paul had many children, and he wanted to be sure he could always support them. So Paul decided to learn other trades. He was a goldsmith. He cleaned teeth and made false teeth. He also engraved copper plates, printed pictures and business cards, fixed umbrellas, and made eyeglasses.

In the 1760's, Paul busied himself with politics. He joined the Sons of Liberty. It was a society of Americans who were against British rule in the colonies.

During the American Revolution, Paul was a Lieutenant Colonel. He was in command of the Boston Harbor fort at Castle Island. He set up a mill to make gun powder and cannons. He cut plates and printed paper money for the Massachusetts colony.

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b. What did the Declaration of Independence declare?
The thirteen American colonies were free and independent from Britain.

Representatives from the American colonies met in Philadelphia for the Second Continental Congress. On July 4, 1776, they adopted the Declaration of Independence. They wanted their independence from British King George III and from Parliament.

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c. Paul Revere made many rides to help American patriots before and during the American Revolution. Name ONE of them.
Rides to New York and Philadelphia, rides for the Committees of Correspondence, rides for the Committees of Safety, and ride from Boston to Lexington warning the American colonists the British were coming.

Paul rode to New York and Philadelphia after the Boston Tea Party in December, 1773, and after the Boston Harbor was closed in 1774. He spread the word about what the people of Boston had done.

In 1772, the Sons of Liberty formed Committees of Correspondence. These committees were located in different towns so the colonies could send news to each town about their struggles with the British. Paul would ride carrying letters for the committees.

Paul carried letters for the Committees of Safety. These committees helped inform and govern the colonies during the American Revolution.

On the night of Tuesday, April 18, 1775, Paul and William Dawes rode from Boston to Lexington to warn the American colonists the British were coming.

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d. Use five of the words in Section 2 in a sentence.
Answers may vary. Here are sample sentences from our young readers:
My family and I saw a silversmith when we visited Colonial Williamsburg.

Paul Revere was a member of the Sons of Liberty.

The Stamp Act was a tax on the American colonies.

The Townshend Acts and the Stamp Act were taxes.

The Boston Massacre happened on March 5, 1770.

One of my ancestors was a minuteman.

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e. Have a parent or friend give you a spelling test with EACH of the words in Section 2.

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More Valuable Information about Paul Revere:
Paul Revere (Social Studies for Kids)
The Paul Revere House
"Paul Revere's Ride" Poem by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
The French and Indian War (Social Studies for Kids)
A Summary of the 1765 Stamp Act (Colonial Williamsburg)

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