1. Route: Longfellow's poem depicts Revere as riding from Boston to Concord, following the "rough road by the shore," which is now known as Revere Beach Parkway. However, historical accounts suggest that Revere took a more direct route through the towns of Lexington and Lincoln.
2. Signal Lanterns: The poem mentions Revere hanging two lanterns in the steeple of the Old North Church to signal the British movement: ''One if by land, and two if by sea.'' However, there is no evidence to support the use of lanterns. Instead, church sexton Robert Newman hung two lanterns in the belfry as a signal.
3. Midnight Ride: Longfellow's poem suggests that Revere's ride took place at midnight. In reality, the ride likely began closer to 10:00 or 11:00 p.m. on the night of April 18, 1775.
4. Horse: The poem famously refers to Revere's horse as ''Paul Revere's steed.'' However, Revere actually rode several different horses during his journey, as one horse became exhausted along the way.
5. Confrontation: Longfellow's poem portrays Revere confronting British soldiers and exclaiming, ''The foe of Britain, and the friend of man is here!'' In reality, there's no evidence of any direct confrontations between Revere and British soldiers during the ride.
6. Arrest: The poem suggests that Revere was detained by the British at Lexington, but he managed to escape. While Revere was temporarily stopped by a British patrol, he was allowed to continue after being recognized by a local mason. He was later arrested in Concord, but later that day.
7. Spread of News: Longfellow's account implies that Revere's ride was the primary means by which the news of British troop movements spread. While Revere's ride played a crucial role, other riders like William Dawes and Samuel Prescott also contributed to alerting the countryside.
Overall, Longfellow took creative liberties in his portrayal of Paul Revere's ride to enhance the dramatic impact of the poem and create a memorable narrative. While deviating from some of the historical details, Longfellow's poem remains a beloved and iconic representation of the events leading up to the American Revolution.