The Revere Express
Our blog content is provided by past and present staff, outside researchers, and interns. We try to provide a wide variety of content and add new articles often! Browse below to find areas that interest you.Â
Of But Not In: Paul Revere’s Struggles for Leadership and Legitimacy
Paul Revere had a chip on his shoulder through his entire life. Time and again, he felt slighted by the American Revolution’s political leaders, and then after its completion, the new United States government. While he almost always felt he did not receive the credit...
Paul Revere and Freemasonry: A Lifelong Pursuit
In a speech made to fellow Freemasons in 1797, Paul Revere claimed that serving as Grand Master was the “greatest happiness” of his life. No one knows exactly what motivated Revere to become a Freemason, but he reaped considerable benefits from his membership, despite...
Italian Immigration to America and Boston’s North End
If you have ever visited Paul Revere’s North Square home, it is hard to imagine the surrounding North End neighborhood without its distinctive Italian flair. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, many Italians were imagining a community for themselves in the...
Paul Revere, Philanthropic Mason: Neighbor Helping Neighbor
Paul Revere’s role as the midnight messenger of April 18, 1775 is well known. His philanthropy, on the other hand, is not. At this time when the coronavirus is isolating us, it is vital that we help each other as best we can. Paul Revere did the same. Examples abound...
One Person’s Trash is Another’s Treasure
Have you ever wondered what historical archaeologists would make of you, two-hundred years from now, should they be given the entire contents of your trash can? That is exactly what happened with two 19th-century privy deposits found during archaeological excavations...
Pauline Revere Thayer: A Descendant’s Role in Shaping Paul Revere’s Legacy
Over the years, many women have played a role in shaping how we remember Paul Revere. Perhaps no woman has had more of an impact than Revere’s great-granddaughter, Pauline Revere Thayer (1862-1934). Pauline, the second child of Paul Joseph and Lucretia Lunt Revere,...
Preventing the Virus “which walketh in darkness”: Rainsford Island, Paul Revere and the Board of Health
As the coronavirus quarantine continues in Boston and around the world, it is natural to feel uncertainty and anxiety. During this time, it makes sense to turn to history to further understand how Bostonians during the late-18th century grappled with epidemics,...
Smallpox in Boston: Inoculation and the Revere Family
 On February 16, 1764, Paul Revere reported to the board of selectmen in Boston that one of his children, either Deborah, Paul Jr., or Sarah, had contracted smallpox - an acute and highly contagious viral disease. Beginning with an intense fever, purple spots and...
Announcement and Update from the Revere House
Hello everyone! First, we hope you are staying safe and healthy. It has been very difficult to have our historic properties closed to the public, but rest assured that we are all working diligently to keep them cared for and secure and to bring you some great content...