Paul Revere is famous for his midnight ride through Boston and its surrounding communities in April of 1775. He warned the colonists that the British were coming to arrest activists Samuel Adams and John Hancock. He rode to Lexington, Massachusetts, and warned many people along this route. Revere was also a part of the Boston Tea Party. That’s when colonials dressed as Native Americans and destroyed an entire shipment of tea to protest taxes levied on them by England. That is not all that he did, though. While Revere was a true patriot, he was also a silversmith, a soldier, a politician and more.
Paul was born in Boston in 1734. His dad was a silversmith. This is where he learned the craft. Paul trained under his father and eventually took over the business. Life in colonial times was filled with many challenges and for most working people there was not a lot of spare time to spend pursuing the arts. But that didn’t keep them from using their creativity to bring beauty to their world. And that is just what Paul did.
As a silversmith, Paul worked on both gold and silver items. He created useful things like knives, spoons, forks, tea sets and bowls. His creations were beautifully decorated and skillfully made. During his lifetime he was considered a master of his craft, and to this day, his work is still considered remarkable in the world of decorative arts. Examples of his work are on display at the Metropolitan Museum of Art as well as the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston.
Revere did a lot of other creative work, too. He was also a copper plate engraver. He would use chisels and other tools to make dents and patterns in copper, creating beautiful scenes and designs. He made illustrations for books and magazines, business cards, political cartoons, bookplates, a song book and bills of fare for taverns.
Revere’s accomplishments are definitely impressive, but it was not unusual for colonists to have several business ventures going at the same time. They wove whatever skills and resources they had together to make a living for their families. In addition to Revere’s creative businesses he also worked as a dentist. Just like people living in the 1700s, we can use our many skills and talents to be successful at several things at the same time.
