Paul Revere never actually shouted, “The British are coming!”

On the evening of April 18, 1775, the Patriot leader rode from Boston to Lexington, Massachusetts, warning the rebelling colonists that British soldiers stationed in Boston were planning to march into the countryside surrounding Lexington and Concord. However, while Revere’s midnight ride was, in fact, a significant moment in the American Revolution, some details that found their way into the popular retelling have been subject to a bit of dramatic embellishment. Namely, Revere never actually shouted the now-legendary warning, “The British are coming!” In fact, if he had shouted this, it would have been detrimental to his mission.