WI: Paul Revere executed as a spy

WI is Paul Revere executed as a spy by the British army. When the British arrive at Lexington and conchord they seize colonial arms, the Minutemen (called by the Americans for their ability to be ready for action in a minute) are rapidly defeated and the British mockingly refer to them as minutemen as they are only able to stand in line against British troops.

Plausibilty? What happens in the rest of the war?

Regards Bobbis
 
Paul revere wasnt exactly the only messenger riding that night. For one, there was William Dawes, who took a similar route to him. Samuel Prescott was another. And as they spread the alarm, others departed to raise the countryside in arms.

And the british did capture revere at one point, and wound up confiscating his horse, thus ending his ride. But the message still got through.

Short answer: little or nothing changes.
 
A terrible crime has been committed by the British.:mad:

Just think of all the fakes who will now never be able to claim with the utmost sincerity that some piece of silver in their drawing room was made by Paul Revere.

Regardless of the sticker saying "Made in Taiwan" on the bottom.:D
 
Paul revere wasnt exactly the only messenger riding that night. For one, there was William Dawes, who took a similar route to him. Samuel Prescott was another. And as they spread the alarm, others departed to raise the countryside in arms.

Short answer: little or nothing changes.

Longfellow writes 'The Midnight Ride of Sam Prescott'.
 
Longfellow writes 'The Midnight Ride of Sam Prescott'.

IIRC, there is a theory that he wrote about revere because it rhymed with "hear". What rhymes with Dawes or Prescott?

Actually, this may have a minor positive impact, as historians took Longfellow's poem as fact for a long time. One or two national myths preempted, a slightly more accurate popular view of american history.
 
I don't think much changes given that Prescott and Dawes did the majority of the work. You may have greater colonial outrage which in turn may muster more Patriot militiamen earlier in the war. However, since the Patriots won those early battles anyway I doubt it has any real impact.

Although, it is worth mentioning that anger over Nathan Hale's execution has been reported by some as the chief reason for which the execution of John Andre actually went forward. It's conceivable that if Revere is executed on trumped up charges that a British officer might similarly have been executed in a like manner. In such a string of events perhaps Hale and Andre both would have been spared their fates as this give and take lesson would be learned earlier in the war. Alternatively a more grisly war may have been fought with numerous executions and reprisals.
 

The Vulture

Banned
Revere and the minutemen (BTW, I like your idea of minutemen as a mocking name, think it fits very well) become martyrs, American troops go into combat yelling "Remember Revere!" and "Remember Lexington!"

Seeing as Prescott and Dawes did most of the legwork, though, little effect that I can see.
 

MrP

Banned
IIRC, there is a theory that he wrote about revere because it rhymed with "hear". What rhymes with Dawes or Prescott?

Actually, this may have a minor positive impact, as historians took Longfellow's poem as fact for a long time. One or two national myths preempted, a slightly more accurate popular view of american history.

Shores, roars, soars, cores, bores for the former. I'll grant you Prescott's a pickle - but I'd like to mention I am drunk - as usual.
 
IIRC, there is a theory that he wrote about revere because it rhymed with "hear". What rhymes with Dawes or Prescott?

Actually, this may have a minor positive impact, as historians took Longfellow's poem as fact for a long time. One or two national myths preempted, a slightly more accurate popular view of american history.

You are right about the problem of rhyming Dawes and Prescott. Laws, claws, wot?
 
Shores, roars, soars, cores, bores for the former. I'll grant you Prescott's a pickle - but I'd like to mention I am drunk - as usual.
None of those rhyme with "Dawes" in American English (that of the present, at least). "Gnaws" would, though.

For Prescott, would "waistcoat" work?
 
Prescott was amongst the chosen few,
He saw the redcoats coming,
Upon his charge he gallantly flew
To warn the men and women,

The Redcoats are coming! The Redcoats are coming!
He screamed out loud,
whilst moving onwards faster,
If it were not for his gallant deed,
Victory would be disaster!

Any good? Thoughts?
 
Lovely poem. He would have been a better hero. Paul Revere later commanded part of the Penobscot expedition (separate commands being part of the reason for failure) and after unloading the ship, he went back for a nice lunch instead of leading the attack on a British camp. Paul Revere, I have a hunch, he's not so great, he stops for lunch.
 
Paul revere wasnt exactly the only messenger riding that night. For one, there was William Dawes, who took a similar route to him. Samuel Prescott was another. And as they spread the alarm, others departed to raise the countryside in arms.

And the british did capture revere at one point, and wound up confiscating his horse, thus ending his ride. But the message still got through.

Short answer: little or nothing changes.

There's a key difference. Revere was one of those people who everyone knew, and was well connected along the route, knowing whose door to knock on in each town. Dawes got no response on his route, with the result that key towns sent no men. It makes a big difference.

If Revere had no made his ride, we would have been in big trouble.

On the other hand, for the same reasons, executing Revere would have been really personal to a huge number of people and might have sparked serious resistance in itself, if too late for Lexington.
 
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