Midnight Ride Packet Extra Space
Paul Revere's Midnight Ride
Literacy & History Study Packet
Name:
Date:
Vocabulary
messenger
Carries news or info from place to place.
messenger
signal
A sign or action used to send a message.
signal
warn
To tell someone about danger.
warn
patriot
Loves and supports their country.
patriot
lantern
A light inside a glass case.
lantern
militia
Ready to fight for their town.
militia
intercept
To stop something mid-way.
intercept
alarm
To wake or warn quickly.
alarm
Background Knowledge
What do you already know about Paul Revere or the American Revolution?
The Midnight Journey
In 1774 and 1775, two important patriot groups in Boston hired Paul Revere as an express rider. His job was to deliver news, messages, and copies of important documents. He rode all the way to cities as far as New York and Philadelphia. At this time, tensions between the American colonists and Great Britain were growing, and a fast, trustworthy messenger was incredibly valuable.
On the evening of April 18, 1775, a patriot leader named Dr. Joseph Warren called for Paul Revere and gave him an urgent mission. He told Revere to ride to Lexington, Massachusetts, with news that British soldiers stationed in Boston were about to march into the countryside. Dr. Warren believed the soldiers planned to arrest Samuel Adams and John Hancock, two important patriot leaders staying at a house in Lexington. He also thought the British would continue on to Concord to seize military supplies—gunpowder, ammunition, and several cannons—that the patriots had hidden there.
As it turned out, Dr. Warren's information about the arrests was not correct. The British soldiers did not actually have orders to arrest anyone. However, they were on a serious mission to march out of Boston.
Before leaving, Revere arranged a clever signal. He asked a friend to hold up two lit lanterns in the tower of Christ Church. This signal was meant for fellow patriots across the Charles River, just in case Revere himself could not escape the city. The two lanterns had a specific meaning: the British troops planned to row across the river to Cambridge rather than march out of Boston by land. One lantern would have meant they were going by land.
Revere quickly stopped at his own home to grab his boots and overcoat. Then he hurried to the waterfront in Boston's North End. Two friends were waiting there to row him across the river to Charlestown. They had to slip past a huge British warship, the HMS Somerset, in the darkness, but they made it across safely.
Once on the other side, Revere shared the news with Colonel Conant and other local patriots. He borrowed a horse from John Larkin. Before he set off, Richard Devens warned Revere that British patrols were already out on the roads, trying to stop messengers like him.
At about eleven o'clock, Revere started riding. He narrowly avoided capture just outside Charlestown, quickly changing his route. He rode through Medford, where he woke up Isaac Hall, the captain of the local militia. As he continued his ride, he alarmed nearly every house. He reached Lexington sometime after midnight.
Hancock and Adams were safely warned. About half past twelve, another rider named William Dawes arrived. They decided to continue on to Concord. Soon afterward, a British patrol intercepted them. Revere was captured. The British soldiers eventually let him go but took his horse. Left alone, Revere walked back to Lexington on foot, arriving just in time to witness the start of the American Revolution on Lexington Green.
"One if by land, and two if by sea; And I on the opposite shore will be, Ready to ride and spread the alarm Through every Middlesex village and farm..."
Analysis & Inquiry
Inquiry #1
How did Revere's lantern signal work, and why was it needed even if he escaped?
Answer
Evidence
Inquiry #2
Why was the HMS Somerset a major obstacle for the messengers?
Answer
Evidence
Inquiry #3
Why was Revere's ride successful despite his capture?
Answer
Evidence
Graphic Organizer
<table class="w-full border-collapse border-2 border-slate-800 bg-white shadow-md mb-8"><tbody><tr><th class="border-2 border-slate-800 p-2 bg-slate-100 w-1/4 text-left font-bold uppercase text-[9px]">Main Topic</th><td class="border-2 border-slate-800 p-4"><div class="relative h-7 border-b-2 border-slate-400"><div class="absolute top-1/2 w-full border-b border-dashed border-slate-300"></div></div></td></tr><tr><th class="border-2 border-slate-800 p-2 bg-slate-100 w-1/4 text-left font-bold uppercase text-[9px] align-top">Details</th><td class="border-2 border-slate-800 p-4"><div class="space-y-4"><div class="relative h-7 border-b-2 border-slate-400"><div class="absolute top-1/2 w-full border-b border-dashed border-slate-300"></div></div><div class="relative h-7 border-b-2 border-slate-400"><div class="absolute top-1/2 w-full border-b border-dashed border-slate-300"></div></div><div class="relative h-7 border-b-2 border-slate-400"><div class="absolute top-1/2 w-full border-b border-dashed border-slate-300"></div></div></div></td></tr></tbody></table>
Text Summary
Summarize the ride using your main topic and details.
Comprehension Part 1
1. Who told Paul Revere to ride out and warn the people?
personplacethingaction
2. What did Paul Revere do for a job before his famous ride?
personplacethingaction
3. How many lanterns were hung in the church tower that night?
personplacethingnumber
4. Why did Paul Revere need to warn the people in Lexington?
reasonplacethingaction
5. Where was Paul Revere going when British soldiers stopped him?
personplacethingaction
6. What did the two lanterns mean to the patriots?
thingplacereasonway
7. Why was this ride important to the American Revolution?
reasonopinionaction
Midnight Dispatch
Imagine you are a patriot. Write a secret message to warn a friend.
Dispatch
Mission Accomplished
Midnight Ride Answer Key
Answer Key
Paul Revere's Midnight Ride
Section 1: Vocabulary
messenger
A person who carries news or info from place to place.
signal
A sign or action used to send a message.
warn
To tell someone about danger so they can be ready.
patriot
A person who loves and supports their country.
lantern
A light inside a glass case that can be carried around.
militia
A group of regular people ready to fight for their town.
intercept
To stop someone or something before it gets to its goal.
alarm
To wake someone or warn them that something is happening.
Section 2: Analysis
Inquiry Sample Answers:
1. Signal: The signal used lanterns (one if by land, two if by sea). It was needed in case Revere was caught before he could cross the river.
2. HMS Somerset: The Somerset was a huge British warship guarding the river. They had to row past it in the dark without being spotted.
3. Success: Even though he was caught, he had already warned several towns and militia captains, and he got the message to Adams and Hancock first.
Section 3: Comprehension
1. Who told Paul Revere to ride out and warn the people?
Answer: Dr. Joseph Warren gave Revere the mission on April 18, 1775.
2. What did Paul Revere do for a job before his famous ride?
Answer: He worked as an express rider delivering news and documents.
3. How many lanterns were hung in the church tower that night?
Answer: Two lit lanterns were hung to signal a crossing by water.
4. Why did Paul Revere need to warn the people in Lexington?
Answer: To warn Samuel Adams and John Hancock that they might be arrested.
5. Where was Paul Revere going when British soldiers stopped him?
Answer: He was riding toward Concord to check on military supplies.
6. What did the two lanterns mean to the patriots?
Answer: They meant the British were rowing across the river instead of marching by land.
7. Why was this ride important to the American Revolution?
Answer: It gave the colonists time to prepare for the first battle at Lexington Green.
