Why did Paul Revere and William Dawes ride toward Lexington on the night of April 18, 1775?
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Paul Revere and William Dawes rode toward Lexington on the night of April 18, 1775, to warn Samuel Adams and John Hancock that British troops were marching from Boston to arrest them. These two American patriots were staying in Lexington at the time, and the advance warning aimed to give them enough time to escape. The ride was also a call to arms for the local militia and Minutemen, as the British were also intending to seize the weapons and ammunition stored by the colonies' resistance. This event was a significant precursor to the battles of Lexington and Concord that took place the following day, which marked the beginning of the American Revolutionary War.