Paul Revere

Revere was not the only colonist to warn the Minute Men of the British invasion. He was joined by William Dawes and a doctor named Samuel Prescott who happen to be in Lexington at the time. Revere and Dawes rode to Lexington to warn Samuel Adams and John Hancock. It was in Lexington were they met up with Dr. Prescott and then sped on toward Concord. Nearing Concord, Revere, Dawes and Prescott were stopped by British troops in Lincoln. Prescott and Dawes escaped, but Revere was detained, questioned and then escorted at gunpoint by three British officers back to Lexington. Of the three riders, only Prescott arrived at Concord in time to warn the militia there.

The story of Paul Revere is largely based on the poem "Paul Revere's Ride", written by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow in 1860. In his poem, Longfellow took many liberties with the events of the evening, most especially giving sole credit to Revere for the collective achievements of the three riders (as well as the other riders whose names do not survive to history).