17. Using historical myths to debunk them
Most of the myths surrounding Paul Revere’s ride on the night of April 18-19, 1775 arose from the poem The Midnight Ride of Paul Revere, itself written for children in 1861. Henry Wadsworth Longfellow raised the all but forgotten ride in public consciousness with the poem, though he created inaccuracies still taught in school. The poem created the image of Revere riding, alone, to Lexington and Concord, raising the alarm against the British raid the following day. Having the student read the poem aloud allows for insertion of corrections to the mythical elements, and relating the historical facts. For example, Revere did not order the signals hung in North Church’s steeple to tell him of the route chosen by the British (one if by land, two if by sea). He already knew the British had chosen the latter. He ordered the signal to alert other riders in the likely event of his capture while attempting to cross the Charles River.
Nor did he arrive at Concord. He was captured on the road shortly after warning Samuel Adams and John Hancock in Lexington. The British took his boots and horse when they released him, and he walked back to Lexington in time to help Adams load his trunk into a carriage. Other riders alerted Concord, as church bells rang out across the countryside warning other villages and towns. The poem which created the myths thus used debunks them, and allows the true story of the memorable night to be told to even the youngest students. By the way, when Revere died in 1818, his many achievements listed in his obituary did not mention his midnight ride, one of many rides he made as a courier for Boston’s Sons of Liberty before the Revolutionary War.