_ 1765-1774: THE REVOLUTION GATHERS STORM
_
In the years immediately following the Seven Years’ War (1756-1763), the British economy entered a recession and thus
Revere's business began to suffer. Unfortunately for Revere, business would soon decline even further when the Stamp Act
of 1765 resulted in a further downturn in the Massachusetts economy (Triber, 38-43). Business was so poor that an attempt
was made to attack his property in late 1765 (Fischer, 20). Finances got so bad for Revere that to help make ends meet he
even took up dentistry, a skill set he was taught by a practicing surgeon who lodged at a friend's house (Miller, 104).
Although Revere was not one of the "Loyal Nine"—organizers of the earliest protests against the Stamp Act—he was well
connected with many of its members, who were laborers and artisans (Triber, 43). Revere did not participate in some of the
more raucous protests, such as the attack on the home of Lieutenant Governor Thomas Hutchinson (Triber, 46), though in
1765 when a group of militants who would become known as the "Sons of Liberty" formed, Paul Revere was one of them
(Goss, 112-115). From 1765 on, in support of the dissident cause, he produced engravings with political themes as well as
other artifacts. Among these engravings are a depiction of the arrival of British troops in 1768 (which he termed "An
Insolent Parade") and a famous depiction of the March 1770 Boston Massacre. Although the latter was engraved by Revere
and he included the inscription, "Engraved, Printed, & Sold by Paul Revere Boston", it was modeled on a drawing by Henry
Pelham, and Revere's engraving of the drawing was colored by a third man and printed by a fourth (Fischer, 22). Revere also
produced a bowl commemorating the Massachusetts assembly's refusal to retract the Massachusetts Circular Letter. (This
letter, adopted in response to the 1767 Townshend Acts, called for united colonial action against the acts. King George III
had issued a demand for its retraction) (Fischer, 22). Through acts such as these, it became apparent that Paul Revere had
developed a growing dislike for the British Crown ruling American citizens. In 1770 Revere purchased a house on North
Square in Boston's North End. Now a museum, the house provided space for his growing family while he continued to
maintain his shop at nearby Clark's Wharf (Triber, 71). His wife Sarah died in early 1773, and not long after, on October 10
of the same year, Revere married Rachel Walker. The couple would eventually have eight children, three of whom died
young (Forbes, 485-487).
In November 1773, the merchant ship HMS Dartmouth arrived in Boston Harbor carrying the first shipment of tea
that would be subject to the taxes of the Tea Act. Revere and Warren, as members of the informal "North End Caucus",
organized a watch over the Dartmouth to prevent the unloading of the tea. Revere took his turns on guard duty, and was
actually one of the ringleaders on the night of December 16 during what has became known as the Boston Tea Party, where
colonists disguised as Indians dumped tea from the Dartmouth and two other ships into the harbor (Miller, 165), displaying
their distaste for the new laws.
From December 1773 to November 1775, Revere served as a courier for the Boston Committee of Public Safety,
traveling to places such as New York and Philadelphia to report on the political unrest in Boston. Research has documented
that Revere made eighteen such rides. In 1774, the military governor of Massachusetts, General Thomas Gage, dissolved the
provincial assembly on orders from Britain. Governor Gage also closed the port of Boston and forced private citizens all
over the city to quarter (provide lodging for) soldiers in their homes.
During this time, Revere and a group of 30 "mechanics" began meeting in secret at his favorite haunt, the Green
Dragon, to coordinate the gathering and dissemination of intelligence by "watching the Movements of British Soldiers", as he
would write in an account of his April 18, 1775 ride. Around this time Revere contributed engravings to the patriot
monthly, Royal American Magazine (Miller, 81).
He rode to Portsmouth, New Hampshire in December 1774 upon rumors of an impending landing of British troops
there, a journey known in history as the Portsmouth Alarm. Although the rumors were false, his ride sparked a rebel success
by provoking locals to raid Fort William and Mary, defended by just six soldiers, for its gunpowder supply (Fischer, 52-57).
By now, Paul’s role was becoming more and more crucial to a feeling of “togetherness” and anti-British rule by American
colonists.
In the years immediately following the Seven Years’ War (1756-1763), the British economy entered a recession and thus
Revere's business began to suffer. Unfortunately for Revere, business would soon decline even further when the Stamp Act
of 1765 resulted in a further downturn in the Massachusetts economy (Triber, 38-43). Business was so poor that an attempt
was made to attack his property in late 1765 (Fischer, 20). Finances got so bad for Revere that to help make ends meet he
even took up dentistry, a skill set he was taught by a practicing surgeon who lodged at a friend's house (Miller, 104).
Although Revere was not one of the "Loyal Nine"—organizers of the earliest protests against the Stamp Act—he was well
connected with many of its members, who were laborers and artisans (Triber, 43). Revere did not participate in some of the
more raucous protests, such as the attack on the home of Lieutenant Governor Thomas Hutchinson (Triber, 46), though in
1765 when a group of militants who would become known as the "Sons of Liberty" formed, Paul Revere was one of them
(Goss, 112-115). From 1765 on, in support of the dissident cause, he produced engravings with political themes as well as
other artifacts. Among these engravings are a depiction of the arrival of British troops in 1768 (which he termed "An
Insolent Parade") and a famous depiction of the March 1770 Boston Massacre. Although the latter was engraved by Revere
and he included the inscription, "Engraved, Printed, & Sold by Paul Revere Boston", it was modeled on a drawing by Henry
Pelham, and Revere's engraving of the drawing was colored by a third man and printed by a fourth (Fischer, 22). Revere also
produced a bowl commemorating the Massachusetts assembly's refusal to retract the Massachusetts Circular Letter. (This
letter, adopted in response to the 1767 Townshend Acts, called for united colonial action against the acts. King George III
had issued a demand for its retraction) (Fischer, 22). Through acts such as these, it became apparent that Paul Revere had
developed a growing dislike for the British Crown ruling American citizens. In 1770 Revere purchased a house on North
Square in Boston's North End. Now a museum, the house provided space for his growing family while he continued to
maintain his shop at nearby Clark's Wharf (Triber, 71). His wife Sarah died in early 1773, and not long after, on October 10
of the same year, Revere married Rachel Walker. The couple would eventually have eight children, three of whom died
young (Forbes, 485-487).
In November 1773, the merchant ship HMS Dartmouth arrived in Boston Harbor carrying the first shipment of tea
that would be subject to the taxes of the Tea Act. Revere and Warren, as members of the informal "North End Caucus",
organized a watch over the Dartmouth to prevent the unloading of the tea. Revere took his turns on guard duty, and was
actually one of the ringleaders on the night of December 16 during what has became known as the Boston Tea Party, where
colonists disguised as Indians dumped tea from the Dartmouth and two other ships into the harbor (Miller, 165), displaying
their distaste for the new laws.
From December 1773 to November 1775, Revere served as a courier for the Boston Committee of Public Safety,
traveling to places such as New York and Philadelphia to report on the political unrest in Boston. Research has documented
that Revere made eighteen such rides. In 1774, the military governor of Massachusetts, General Thomas Gage, dissolved the
provincial assembly on orders from Britain. Governor Gage also closed the port of Boston and forced private citizens all
over the city to quarter (provide lodging for) soldiers in their homes.
During this time, Revere and a group of 30 "mechanics" began meeting in secret at his favorite haunt, the Green
Dragon, to coordinate the gathering and dissemination of intelligence by "watching the Movements of British Soldiers", as he
would write in an account of his April 18, 1775 ride. Around this time Revere contributed engravings to the patriot
monthly, Royal American Magazine (Miller, 81).
He rode to Portsmouth, New Hampshire in December 1774 upon rumors of an impending landing of British troops
there, a journey known in history as the Portsmouth Alarm. Although the rumors were false, his ride sparked a rebel success
by provoking locals to raid Fort William and Mary, defended by just six soldiers, for its gunpowder supply (Fischer, 52-57).
By now, Paul’s role was becoming more and more crucial to a feeling of “togetherness” and anti-British rule by American
colonists.