Monday, April 19, 2010

The British are Coming! The British are Coming!

April 18th/19th I am celebrating the famous midnight ride of Paul Revere: Master Mason and later the Second Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of Massachusetts.

Paul Revere and William Dawes were instructed by Joseph Warren (another great Freemason) in 1775 to ride from Boston to Lexington to warn Samuel Adams and John Hancock that the British Army was coming to arrest them, and to seize the Patriot's weapon stores in Concord.

Paul Revere was sent across the Charles River to begin his journey from Charleston to Lexington. William Dawes was sent a on different path the long way via the Boston neck to Lexington.

Both men sounded the alarm and helped the colonists prepare for the advancement of the British Army. Hours after the alarm was sounded the "shot that rang out around the world" was heard. America was born in blood.

This American story is one of my favorites and is rich in details and lore. One man became famous, while the other died in obscurity. I have had many books read to me as a child, and I now have read the stories to my children. It's a tale that's based in history, and one which I never grow tired of.

Here are a few facts you may not know about Paul Revere. He was a Mason in St. Andrews Lodge in 1760 in Boston. Paul Revere was active in his lodge and worked his way through the chairs. He served nine terms as Worshipful Master. At 60 years old he was elected as Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of Massachusetts December 8, 1794 to 1797.

These are just a few facts and I hope it encourages you to find out more about Grand Master Revere and his life .

I can't help it but I would like to post the poem by Longfellow. It may be filled with inaccuracies but it is one of my favorites. Here is the link:
//http//www.paulreverehouse.org/ride/poem.shtml

Maybe next year we should take a trip together and see the route of the famous ride! Would you like to come? Think about it ... won't you?

No comments: