Two of Revere’s biographers will speak with the Executive Director of the Paul Revere House on Paul Revere, the man and the myth. While today he is most famous for his Midnight Ride, this talk will cover his life before and after the Revolution as well.

With:
Dr. Robert Martello, Professor of the History of Science & Technology, Olin College of Engineering
Dr. Jayne Triber, Independent Scholar
Nina Zannieri, Executive Director, Paul Revere Memorial Association

What does the Midnight Ride mean today, and who does it matter to? In this panel a university professor, a high school teacher and administrator, and a public history content creator will discuss how the Midnight Ride resonates (or doesn’t) with the groups they talk about history with. They will compare perspectives on societal trends that influence whether a historical event like this feels relevant today.

Moderated by Dr. Noelle Trent, Museum of African American History, Boston, with Ahsante Bean, Creator and Storytelling Strategist, Dr. Eileen Ka-May Cheng, History Faculty, Sarah Lawrence College, Kerry Dunne, History & Social Studies department head, Lexington High School,

With William Dawes Schultz, journalist

While Longfellow cast Paul Revere as a lone hero in his 1860 poem “Paul Revere’s Ride,” history lovers have stood up for the other rider who carried news from Boston that night, William Dawes, since at least the 1890s. This talk will explore the life and the Midnight Ride of William Dawes.

On April 18, 1775, Paul Revere and William Dawes set out from Boston with information to convey to key Patriot leaders and to local Patriot militiamen. The story of “Midnight Ride,” on the eve of the Revolutionary War, has been told and retold over the past two and a half centuries, both as a historical event and as a national legend. The 2025 Lowell Lecture Series will share perspectives on the events of April 18, the various participants, and on what it means to people looking back on the ride today.Presented in partnership with GBH, the Suffolk University History Department, Old North Illuminated, Lexington History Museums, Evanston History Center at the Charles Gates Dawes House (Evanston, IL), and Made by Us, with funding from the Lowell Institute.All lectures are free and open to the public.

This gun was carried by John Munroe as he joined other colonial militiamen in facing down British troops on Lexington Green.

GBH kicked off America 250, a year of events and programming marking the 250th anniversary of the nation's founding, with a weekend of community events featuring Ken Burns and Sarah Botstein, co-directors of their forthcoming film The American Revolution.

Reenactments and parades attracted history buffs, locals and some protesters to the Massachusetts towns.

In the 1950 recording, preserved by GBH Archives, a Waltham doctor recalled his great-grandmother’s childhood account of the chaos on the first day of the Revolutionary War.

Dive into stories about Patriots' Day, America 250, and all things American Revolution

GBH has announced a year-long series of multi-platform programs, events, and collaborations with partners in Boston and across the Commonwealth to commemorate the 250th anniversary of the founding of America.