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Maxwell R. Levkulich
Ms. Yanelli
U.S. History
December 21, 2016
AP U.S. HISTORY ESSAY
Paul Reveres Ride by Henry W. Longfellow is a heavily debated
poem on the matters of its authenticity on several significant details. Is
it possible for a man to write exact details about another mans
experience ninety-five years after the event had taken place? This is
just one reason as of why my self and many others believe that this
poem is a scam. Longfellows version of Paul Reveres Ride has
wrongfully misconstrued details about Paul Reveres ride on April 18th in
1775; because of this it should rightfully be declared illegitimate and
removed as a proper document of history.

Ignoring the fact that Henry Longfellow had written Paul

Reveres Ride almost a century after Paul Revere actually had his
famed ride to warn the colonists about the British coming, there are
still many parts that conflict with authentic details we know about that
night. Henry Longfellow had written this poem to bring awareness to
the fact America was falling apart. With this intention in mind
Longfellow would begin to rearrange and alter details that would bring
this message to life through the poem Paul Reveres Ride. The most

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infamous part of Longfellows version of the poem was that he said
Paul Revere was alone riding that night to warn the colonists about the
invasion of the British. With such a major detail altered like this can
make Paul Revere be perceived as a hero who selflessly threw him self
into the dangerous night. With the genuine details being left how they
were intended to be another perception of Paul Revere would be
visualized. He would be seen as a man who with dozens of his fellow
colonists had rode into the night to bring awareness of the British
invasion. A totally different view of Paul Revere was formed from
changing such a detail. These details show again how inconsistent and
unauthentic Longfellows version is.

Longfellows version was also used as propaganda. He had

changed details to inspire the American people and to keep the story
alive. A simple way to get people to remember anything is to alter
details to make them sound more impressive and heroic; this is exactly
what Longfellow had done. It was said in Longfellows poem that
Revere had not only rode alone but had also climbed the tower to bring
knowledge of what path the British had taken. This is indeed all false.
Facts given to us from the Main Historical Society which are believed to
be accurate state that Revere had met Colonel Conant of Charlestown
about the details on how the lanterns would be placed to know the
projected path of the British but he did not light them himself. Revere

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had played a role in the use of the lanterns but he did not perform the
impressive feat of climbing a tower to light a lantern because we know
from proven legitimate documents and accounts that someone was
stationed there in preparation to light the lantern once word was
received. With so many details altered to inspire the American people
it has hard to know what is true and what is false and because of this
Longfellows version should be recognized as false information that
was used as American propaganda.

Paul Revere had ridden the night prior to the battle on April 19th
so why and how would he come to the conclusion that there were dead
bodies laying in the yard of the Old North Church. This is another lie
found in Longfellows version of the poem. Stating an impossible
scenario that had never happened in a poem that you claim to be the
truth is an offense in itself but to go and publish to the general public is
an atrocity. If the public had taken this information as the truth then
not only would they be misinformed but they would also be under the
impression that Paul Revere and the efforts of his fellow colonists had
been in vein because of the dead bodies that were claimed to be laying
in the yard.

Henry W. Longfellow had several excellent pieces of writing but

his version of Paul Reveres Ride had disappointed a mass audience

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when it was sold as a true account from that famous night but had
later been proven false. It is in general agreement that because of the
reasons stated and many others found in Paul Reveres Ride by
Longfellow historians and educators should try to ease the pain it has
caused to history by ceasing its existence as a whole.

Works Cited

Leehey, Patrick M. "The Real Story of Paul Reveres Ride."

Biography.com. A&E
Networks Television, 15 Apr. 2016. Web. 16 Dec. 2016.

Cohen, Jennie. "10 Things You May Not Know About Paul Revere."
History.com. A&E
Television Networks, 16 Apr. 2013. Web. 16 Dec. 2016.