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Listen, my children....

Discussion in 'History Forum' started by Gwen, Apr 18, 2006.

  1. Gwen

    Gwen Active Member

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    ...and you shall hear
    of the Midnight Ride of Paul Revere!

    Today is the 231st anniversary of Paul Revere's Ride. William Dawes also rode with Paul Revere that night, but we don't usually hear about him. Does anyone know why?
     
  2. rsr

    rsr <b> 7,000 posts club</b>
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    Revere had better publicity: Henry Wadsworth Longfellow's poem immortalized Revere and ignored Dawes. (To be fair, Revere rode on many missions as principal rider for Boston's Committee of Safety.)

    (Dawes' family did very well despite the lack of publicity, though; his great-grandson was president of the United States and received the Nobel Peace Prize.)
     
  3. Gwen

    Gwen Active Member

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    rsr, who was Dawes' great-grandson?
     
  4. Gwen

    Gwen Active Member

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    OK, I looked it up! [​IMG]

    William Dawes great grandson was Charles Dawes, Vice President under Calvin Coolidge.
     
  5. rsr

    rsr <b> 7,000 posts club</b>
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    Oops. I meant to type VP. Well, anyway, it's all Longfellow's doing. A good publicity agent can make all the difference.
     
  6. ktn4eg

    ktn4eg New Member

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    BTW, Dawes was also the only VP to have written the music for what would become a #1 hit song.

    In 1912 Dawes composed what he called "Melody in A Major."

    In the 1950's Carl Sigmon added the lyrics and called it "It's All in the Game," which went on to be a #1 by Tommy Edwards.
     
  7. blackbird

    blackbird Active Member

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    What about the horse??? Can you look that one up too, Gwen??? [​IMG]
     
  8. Mike McK

    Mike McK New Member

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    Not to take anything away from Revere or Dawes, but what about Israel Bissel?

    Bissel rode 350 miles from Boston to Philadelphia to warn the Continental Congress and the various military outposts along the way of the coming of the British.

    Revere rode 15 miles from Boston to Cambridge.

    Each man performed their duties faithfully and heroically, but in the big picture, Bissell's ride had a far, far greater impact.

    If only Longfellow had found something that would rhyme with Israel Bissell.
     
  9. Alcott

    Alcott Well-Known Member
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    Listen, my children, and do not pause;
    You're gonna hear about William Dawes...


    Yeah, I think I see why he went for the PR, too.
     
  10. Kilad

    Kilad New Member

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    Apparently Paul Revere was also a plagiarist. He stole and used the plates of the Boston Massacre illustration that he is so often given credit for creating.
     
  11. blackbird

    blackbird Active Member

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    15 miles??

    15 miles??

    Is that all??

    Mercy---I ride 15 miles to town just about everyday

    If Revere had a horse that could trot along at 15 miles per hour----why---it would have taken just a measley hour to get there with the news!!
     
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