Founding Fathers. Military History Online. National Archives and Records Administration. The American Revolution. Myth: In April of 1775, Paul Revere rode through the streets from Boston to Lexington yelling "The British Are Coming" - Interesting US History. Myth: In April of 1775, Paul Revere rode through the streets from Boston to Lexington yelling "The British Are Coming".
Fact: First of all, it's not likely Paul Revere ever yelled out the words "The British Are Coming" because the areas he rode through often had British army patrols and besides most of the colonials of the time considered themselves British and were loyal to the crown. The purpose of the ride was to warn John Hancock and Samuel Adams who were in Lexington at the time. He did inform others along the way but not by yelling in the streets. Also, Paul Revere was not the only rider to make the trip. William Dawes and Samuel Prescott also made the ride and in fact Prescott was the only one of the three to make it to Concord (the location of their weapons stores where they thought the British army was ultimately headed).
University Archive for the History of Economic Thought. Annenberg Media - A Biography of America. History Resources - refdesk.