Boston Commemorates 250th Anniversary of Old North Church Lanterns, Reflects on Seeds of Revolution
BOSTON — The city of boston commemorated the 250th anniversary of the iconic lighting of the lanterns at the Old North Church on Thursday, April 18, 2025, a pivotal moment that ignited the spark of the American revolution. The event served as a powerful reminder of the courage and sacrifice of ordinary citizens who challenged tyranny and paved the way for the nation’s founding.
“Two hundred and fifty years ago, in April 1775, Boston was on edge,” a speaker noted at the commemoration. “Seven thousand residents of the town shared these streets with more than 13,000 British soldiers and their families. The two groups coexisted uneasily.”
The commemoration,centered on this anniversary,provided a moment to reflect on the escalating tensions that gripped colonial Boston in the years leading up to the Revolutionary War,tensions fueled by British policies that were increasingly viewed as oppressive and unjust.
Those tensions intensified in the years following the French and Indian War. British authorities, seeking to prevent further costly conflicts with Indigenous Americans, prohibited colonists from settling west of the Appalachian mountains. Than,to recoup expenses from the war,Parliament enacted a series of revenue laws,including the Stamp Act of 1765,wich levied a tax on all printed materials.
“In 1765, Parliament passed the Stamp Act, requiring the payment of a tax on all printed material—from newspapers and legal documents to playing cards. It would hit virtually everyone in the North American colonies.” Colonists also were required to cover the expenses of British troops stationed in the colonies, further exacerbating resentment.
These measures were perceived by many colonists as a direct assault on their rights and liberties. While the British government saw these policies as necessary to manage the empire and recoup war expenses, colonists viewed them as taxation without portrayal and an infringement on their right to self-governance.
This principle was enshrined in the rallying cry of the time: “No taxation without representation.” As resentment grew,colonial leaders organized boycotts of British goods and established communication networks to coordinate resistance efforts.
Boston,a hotbed of colonial dissent,emerged as a focal point of the growing conflict. The Sons of Liberty, a group of patriots that included silversmith Paul Revere, organized protests and acts of defiance against British authority. Revere used his skills as an engraver to create powerful images that depicted the colonists’ struggle for liberty.
“One of the Sons of Liberty was a talented silversmith named paul Revere. He turned the story of the colonists’ loss of their liberty into engravings. Distributed as posters, Revere’s images would help spread the idea that colonists were losing their liberties.”
Tensions reached a boiling point in March 1770 with the Boston Massacre, in which British soldiers fired on a crowd of civilians, killing five, including Crispus Attucks, a Black man who became one of the first martyrs of the Revolution.
Parliament repealed most of the taxes, but retained a tax on tea to symbolize its authority. When Parliament gave the East India Tea Company a monopoly on tea sales in the colonies, colonists responded with the Boston Tea Party in December 1773. Colonists disguised as Native Americans dumped chests of tea into Boston Harbor to protest the tax.
In response, the British government closed the port of Boston, stripped the colony of its charter, flooded the town with soldiers, and demanded payment for the destroyed tea. Colonists promptly organized the Massachusetts Provincial Congress and took control of the colony.
British officials ordered military governor General Thomas Gage to arrest colonial leaders Samuel Adams and John Hancock and to seize military supplies stored in Concord.
Paul Revere and other members of the Sons of Liberty devised a plan to warn colonists in Lexington and Concord of the impending British military action. On the night of April 18, 1775, Revere arranged for the signal lanterns to be lit in the steeple of the Old North Church.
“On Easter Sunday, after the secret watchers had noticed the troop movement, Revere traveled to Lexington to visit adams and Hancock. On the way home thru Charlestown, he had told friends ‘that if the British went out by Water, we would shew two Lanthorns in the North Church Steeple; & if by Land, one, as a Signal.’”
Robert Newman, the church’s sexton, and John Pulling Jr., a vestryman, bravely hung two lanterns in the steeple, signaling that the British troops were crossing the Charles River to Cambridge.
“The two men crept through the dark church, climbed the stairs and then the ladders to the steeple holding lanterns—a tricky business, but one that a caretaker and a mariner could manage—very briefly flashed the lanterns they carried to send the signal, and then climbed back down.”
Revere then famously rode through the countryside,warning colonists that the british were coming,setting in motion the events that would lead to the Battles of Lexington and Concord and ultimately,the American Revolution.
The events of April 18,1775,underscore the importance of ordinary citizens in defending liberty and challenging injustice. The courage and determination of Paul Revere, Robert Newman, John pulling jr., and countless others serve as an enduring inspiration to those who strive for freedom and self-governance around the world.“What newman and Pulling did was simply to honor their friendships and their principles and to do the next right thing, even if it risked their lives, even if no one ever knew. And that is all anyone can do as we work to preserve the concept of human self-determination.”
While the lighting of the lanterns at the Old North Church is often romanticized,some argue that the impact of the event is overstated. Critics point out that William Dawes, another rider, also warned colonists of the British advance, and that the “midnight ride” was just one of many factors that contributed to the outbreak of the Revolution.
However, proponents contend that the lantern signal provided a crucial early warning that allowed colonists to prepare for the British arrival and that the story of Revere’s ride has become a powerful symbol of American resistance to tyranny.
The commemoration of the 250th anniversary of the event serves as a reminder of the importance of civic engagement and the ongoing struggle to defend democratic principles.As challenges to democracy persist both at home and abroad,the lessons of the american Revolution remain as relevant as ever.
FAQ: The Old North Church and the American Revolution
Q: Why were lanterns hung in the old North Church?
A: Two lanterns were hung to signal to colonists in Charlestown that British troops were crossing the Charles River by boat, indicating they were headed to Lexington and Concord to seize arms and arrest colonial leaders.
Q: Who hung the lanterns?
A: Robert Newman, the church’s sexton, and John Pulling Jr., a vestryman, were responsible for hanging the lanterns.
Q: What does “One if by land, two if by sea” mean?
A: This phrase refers to the pre-arranged signal that Paul Revere and other patriots had agreed upon. One lantern meant the British were marching to Lexington and Concord by land via Boston Neck. Two lanterns meant they were crossing the Charles River by sea.
Q: What happened after the lanterns were hung?
A: Paul Revere and William Dawes rode through the countryside warning colonists that the British were coming, allowing them to prepare for the British arrival and ultimately leading to the Battles of Lexington and Concord.
Q: How is the Old North Church remembered today?
A: The Old North Church is preserved as a National historic Landmark and remains an active Episcopal church. It is a popular tourist destination, and its story symbolizes American courage and resistance to tyranny.
