Analysis of Paul Reveres Ride by David Hackett Fischer
Analysis of “Paul Revere’s Ride”
In the book “Paul Revere’s Ride,” David Hackett Fischer depicts the happenings of April 18th and 19th, 1775 by stating; “A major event happened that night in a way that was profoundly different from the popular image of solitary hero-figures, and also the naive determinism of academic scholarship in the 20th century..” (148). The “major event,” being the risk that Paul Revere took to warn the townspeople about the approach of the British Regulars, was not a risk that would even be considered to be taken by just anyone. The “popular image of solitary hero-figures” were men who fought in battles to defend the colonies, the most common image of a “hero” back in the 1700’s was a soldier. Paul Revere defied the odds, so to speak, and became a hero who didn’t fight or use violence to take action to defend the country. The “naive determinism of academic scholarship in the 20th century” translates to that most people lacked an in-depth education in the 20th century era, and it was rare for someone to possess a certain kind of knowledge. What Fischer meant by this statement is that Paul Revere wasn’t just any regular colonist who rode to tell that the “Regulars were coming,” but that he put a lot of thought, skill, and effort into being heroic in a way that no one else was.
An episode which supports this statement takes place in the beginning of the book. It is said quite simply; “Paul Revere became highly skilled at the practical art of getting things done”(16). Revere served his community and often put others needs before his own. He was chosen to be the health officer of Boston, coroner of Suffolk county, and clerk of Boston’s main market. He also co-founded the
Massachusetts Mutual Fire Insurance Company. “With all of these activities he gained a rank that is not easily translated into the conventional language of social stratification”(16). What this means is that Paul Revere came to develop a character “of high complexity-a new American attitude that did not fit easily into European categories”(16). What that means is that Paul Revere’s ideas and actions weren’t like anyone elses in a way that were “profoundly different” than the other ideas of the colonists, which were mainly European-based.
Another episode that supports the main statement on page 148 is described on page 28. “There was a limit to how high Paul Revere could rise in public life. He never had a classical education, and could