As we approach the 250th anniversary of America’s independence in 2026, it is fitting to reflect on the events that ignited the Revolutionary spirit and a newly born nation.

Just over 250 years ago, in April 1775, a network of riders traversed the New England countryside under the cover of night, spreading the alarm that would rally the colonies to arms. While Paul Revere’s name endures in legend, many of his fellow riders remain unsung heroes of that pivotal moment.

Every great movement depends on those willing to act without a promise of reward. As Paul Revere set off across Boston Neck, other men took to the roads beside him, threading their way through the mist and danger of a restless countryside—while women, in towns and farmsteads along the route, played their part by answering the call and passing the warning hand to hand.

Few had poems written for them. Fewer still have monuments. But if liberty were to survive that night, it would be by many hands, not just one.

William Dawes rode a separate route from Revere, pounding over the rough paths of Roxbury and Brookline through the sleeping villages southwest of Boston. A tanner by trade, Dawes bore no poet’s fame, no romantic aura—only determination and daring.