Paul Revere: Treason Trial

Most students of American history know about Paul Revere, the Revolutionary War hero. According to Longfellow's famous poem, the Boston patriot rode through the Massachusetts countryside on 18 April 1775, warning residents that the British were coming. People remember Revere but not his companions, William Dawes and Samuel Prescott.

 But there is another, virtually unknown story which diminished Paul Revere's contemporary standing as a soldier. He was charged with cowardice, and insubordination, in a military court martial.

In this story behind the case, meet Paul Revere and visit his Boston home. Learn about the disastrous Penobscot Expedition and why it failed.

Discover Revere’s role in the planned mission - and why he failed to carry out his objectives. Read testimony he provided in his own defense. And ... meet the famous poet - Henry Wadsworth Longfellow - who memorialized (some scholars say fictionalized) Revere’s efforts in the spring of 1775.