Paul Revere’s Ride
The common belief of Americans is that Paul Revere spotted a signal displayed with lanterns in Boston’s Old North Church -“One if by land, two if by sea” – and mounted a horse to warn the countryside of the fact that the “British were coming.” He rode to Lexington, Concord, and on into history. Other than the into history part, none of this is true.
In fact, Revere sent the signal rather than received it, as a precaution should he be unable to cross the Charles River that April night. He rode as far as Lexington, where he alerted Sam Adams and John Hancock of their impending arrest by British troops, and he alerted the militia along the way.
Considering himself to be British – as did nearly all colonists – he would not have proclaimed that the British were coming. It is far more likely that he warned that the regular troops were on their way.
Finally, he never made it to Concord. He was arrested shortly after leaving Lexington and after questioning he was allowed to walk back to Lexington. The British officers who stopped him kept his horse, which Revere had borrowed, and it disappeared from history into a British stable. Other riders, warned by Revere’s foresighted signal carried the alarm to Concord.