Henry Wadsworth Longfellow’s poem “Paul Revere’s Ride”, written in 1860 and published in 1861 in the Atlantic Monthly
, transformed Paul Revere from a relatively obscure, although locally known, figure into a national folk hero. As a result, most people know him only for his famous ride to Lexington on the night of April 18-19, 1775. Revere’s life, however, was a long and productive one, involving industry, politics, and community service.
