1) What did you know about Paul Revere and his ride before beginning the book? In the Introduction, how did Fischer explain his book’s subject and his approach?
2) How did Fischer analyze the Copley portrait of Revere (seen on p. 2)? What did you learn about Revere’s family background, and his experiences in Boston as a boy? Why did Fischer think the Bell Ringers’ Agreement was so revealing?
3) What were Revere’s two “callings”? Describe his work, family, and social life. What did he think of himself? Would you have wanted to hang out with him?
4) Based on Fischer’s account (pp. 20-29), explain the escalating conflict between the colonies and Great Britain, and Revere’s role within that conflict.
5) Describe Thomas Gage’s family background, upbringing, and military career. How does he compare with Revere?
6) Starting with the Stamp Act, how did Gage react to the series of events in America (through the rest of this chapter)? What was his advice for the British government in this period?
7) How did the raid on the Provincial Powder House go, and how did the people of the region respond to it? How did both Gage and Revere react to the new conditions after the Powder Alarm?
8) Why did Revere ride for Portsmouth, and what happened in New Hampshire? Why didn’t Revere ride to Salem? Describe the incredible series of events in Salem. What do you think of the actions of people like Joseph Whicher and Sarah Tarrant?
9) Explain each of the five major sources of the mounting tensions in this chapter. (Hint: see the headings of the odd-numbered pages.) What were the orders and advice Gage received from London in the last pages of this chapter?
10) Throughout this chapter, how did Gage go about gathering intelligence, formulating his plan, and organizing counterintelligence? (Note his prediction about how the mission would go on p. 86.) How did Revere, other Whig leaders, and ordinary citizens respond to these events?
11) What actions did Revere and Joseph Warren take in the first half of this chapter (up to p. 103)? Who assisted them and why?
12) Trace Revere’s movements after receiving the lantern signal, through the rest of this chapter. What did he say, what did he not say, and why is that important?
13) What challenges did the British forces face in this chapter, and what progress did they make? What were the various components of their uniforms, and which part makes the least sense to you?
14) How did Dawes and Revere wind up teaming up with Dr. Prescott? How did they wind up captured, and how did each get away? What was Revere’s interrogation like?
15) How does Fischer trace the spread of the alarm throughout this chapter, as it was spread by Revere, Prescott and the many others? What were the important differences between the actions of Dawes and Revere that night?
16) Explain the history of militias in Massachusetts—how did they organize and operate, etc.? How did militias turn out on April 19, 1775? How were they dressed and armed?
17) What was the “great fear” and how did it affect people? What were the various ways that individuals and communities responded to the great fear?
18) Describe the actions of Revere, Hancock and Adams in this chapter. What is your impression of John Hancock, based on what you’ve read in this book?
19) How did the confrontation on Lexington Green wind up happening? What were the British expecting, and why? What were the militiamen expecting? How does Fischer assess the question of who fired the first shot?
20) How did events unfold after the first shot was fired, through the rest of this chapter? What was Paul Revere up to during all this action?
21) What did the British do, and what did they find, in Concord? Describe the debate among the people of Concord about how to respond. Why did Colonel Barrett ultimately order his men to advance on the Regulars?
22) Explain the fighting—and the restraint—from Concord Bridge to Meriam’s Corner. What was the American “war crime” at North Bridge, and how did the story of what happened spread among the Regulars?
23) Describe the progress of the British forces after they passed Meriam’s Corner. What was the fighting like at Brooks Hill, The Bloody Curve, the Hartwell farms, and at the Lexington border? Why weren’t the British forces defeated by the end of this chapter?
24) What was Lord Percy’s backstory? What caused the delay in his departure from Boston? What was the composition of his forces, and what did he learn before he got to Lexington?
25) How did Percy’s forces disperse the militia? Why didn’t the ammunition wagons make it to Percy, and how did he organize his forces for the return to Boston? Who was William Heath, and why did he take command on the American side?
26) What was the “dispersed tho’ adhering” American strategy, and how did they use it through the rest of this chapter? What was the fighting like through these pages? How did the British make it to Charlestown?
27) What was the aftermath of the battles like, on both sides of the conflict? How did both sides try to shape the memory of what happened and bring public opinion to their side?
28) Which three of the participants (except Revere) had the most interesting post-conflict stories, and why? How did the events of that day affect the second and third generation? What was Revere’s later life like?
29) Check out the appendices. Which four of these appendices were most revealing or interesting to you, and why? Be sure to refer to them specifically!
30) (Historiography is the study of the writing of history.) Explain each of the first four myths Fischer describes (Injured Innocence, Patriot Fathers, Lone Rider, Man on Horseback). Who were the key writers that spread each myth, and why? How did each myth fit the needs of the time?
31) How did the events of the twentieth century continue to spur reinterpretations of Revere, and the spread of new myths? Who were the important historians (or historical writers) along the way?
32) What can you learn from the Bibliography, the Notes, and the Acknowledgements?
33) What did you think of this book overall? What did you learn from it? Would you recommend I keep it as an option in this course, and why?
