Download This Sample
This sample is exclusively for KidsKonnect members!
To download this worksheet, click the button below to signup for free (it only takes a minute) and you'll be brought right back to this page to start the download!
Sign Me Up
Paul Revere was an American silversmith, an engraver and a Patriot in the American Revolution. He is best known for his famous ride to warn the colonists of the approaching British forces.
This brief biography of Paul Revere includes interesting facts, information and events that can be used to explore one of the most well known people in the American Revolutionary War.
- Paul Revere was born on January 1, 1735, in Boston, Massachusetts. He was the son of a French immigrant, Apollos Rivoire, who made his way to America by himself at the age of 13. His mother, Deborah Hichborn, was from Boston and was the daughter of an artisan family.
- As a silversmith, he created pieces ranging from spoons to full tea sets. During tough times, Revere would advertise as a dentist. He would clean teeth, but also wire in false teeth made from walrus ivory or animal teeth.
- When he was 22, Revere married his first wife, Sarah Orne. They would have eight children together.
- In 1765, Paul became a member of the militant group the Sons of Liberty. This political group wanted liberty for the colonies and other famous members included the American Patriots John Adams, Samuel Adams, Patrick Henry, and John Hancock.
- His wife Sarah Revere died after giving birth to their eighth child. Soon afterwards, Paul married Rachel Walker and had a further eight children with her.
- Paul Revere was a ringleader in the Boston Tea Party. The event happened on December 16, 1773 when colonists disguised as Indians dumped tea into the harbor from the Dartmouth and two other ships.
- Revere might also have been present for the Boston Massacre. His most famous engraving, The Bloody Massacre in King Street was engraved in copper in 1770.
- In April of 1775 there was a rumor that the the British Army, stationed in Boston, were preparing to advance. It was thought they would make their move on the leaders of the Sons of Liberty and other American Patriots. The Sons of Liberty were watching the British closely and we able to send rides to warn the colonists.
- Paul Revere helped to warn the colonists that the British were coming. Both Revere and William Dawes set out to warn Samuel Adams and John Hancock in Lexington – both riders setting out on different routes. Revere also told other riders along the way to pass on the warning and by the end of the night there were as many as 40 riders carrying the warning.
- He also used a warning system that involved using lanterns. Revere instructed Robert Newman, the sexton of the North Church, to set lanterns in the steeple of the Old North Church as an alert to colonists in Charleston. One lantern meant the British were coming by land and two mean they were coming by sea. He would put one lantern if the British were coming by land and two if they were coming by sea. This is well known today by the phrase “one if by land, two if by sea“.
- During the ride, Revere was detained by British troops. Dr. Joseph Warren told Revere and Dawes that the British were approaching Lexington along the Charles River. After warning Lexington, they rode on towards Concord but were detained by British soldiers. They escaped and Paul Revere walked back to John Hancock so that he could help him and his family to escape Lexington.
- He did not yell “the British are coming!”. This quote is often attributed to Paul Revere, but his mission was one of secrecy because the countryside was filled with British army patrols, and Massachusetts colonists – most of which still thought of themselves as British. Revere’s actual warning, according to eyewitness accounts and his own description, was “The Regulars are coming out.“
- He wasn’t famous during his lifetime. His story and life only became famous in 1861 when Henry Wadsworth Longfellow wrote the poem “Paul Revere’s Ride“, detailing the midnight ride to warn the colonists of the British approach.
- After the American Revolution, Revere ran a small hardware store. The store imported goods from England and in 1788 he opened a foundry (metal factory), making bolds, spikes and nails for shipyards in the North End, as well as cannons and cast bells.
- In 1811, Paul Revere retired at the age of 76. He left his copper business to his sons and grandsons. His wife Rachel and son Paul both died two years later, in 1813.
- Paul Revere died on May 10, 1818. He was 83 years old and left five children, along with many grandchildren and great-grandchildren. He is buried in Boston’s Granary Burying Ground.
Paul Revere Worksheets
This bundle includes 11 ready-to-use Paul Revere worksheets that are perfect for students to learn about Paul who was an american silversmith, an engraver and a Patriot in the American Revolution. He is best known for his famous ride to warn the colonists of the approaching British forces.
This download includes the following worksheets:
- Paul Revere Facts
- The Rider
- Next Picture
- Family Tree
- The Patriot Acrostic
- Not the British Are Coming?
- Warning Lanterns
- Job Search
- The Boston Massacre
- The Midnight Ride
- Color Me!
Link/cite this page
If you reference any of the content on this page on your own website, please use the code below to cite this page as the original source.
Link will appear as Paul Revere Biography, Facts & Worksheets: https://kidskonnect.com - KidsKonnect, January 3, 2017
Use With Any Curriculum
These worksheets have been specifically designed for use with any international curriculum. You can use these worksheets as-is, or edit them using Google Slides to make them more specific to your own student ability levels and curriculum standards.