Very, very happy to have you here today is April 17th. This is the Old North Church in Boston,

Massachusetts. When I say it is the Old North Church, I mean really old. The Old North Church is famous

for something that happened in 1775. But in 1775, when that thing happened, the Old North Church was already old then. It was already

more than 50 years old by that point. It was the venerable old landmark and importantly, very

tall building where the rebels had arranged in advance to use their code. They had arranged in advance,

that at the old North Church, they would hoist either one or two lanterns into the steeple of

that church. And that would be the code. That would be the coded signal.

If it was one lantern, that would mean the British troops were coming by land. If it was

two lanterns, that would mean they were coming by sea, or at least by water.

On the night of April 18th, 1775, they hung two lanterns in that steeple.

That was the signal that the British troops were indeed on the move, and that they were not

moving their troops into position for an attack by land.

They were instead taking the more direct route toward Lexington and Concord by sea or by water.

They were crossing the Charles River in boats.

That's what the two lanterns meant.

Once the rebels had figured out what the British were up to, once that two lantern warning was hoisted,

those in the know knew that it was time to move.

Paul Revere and William Dawes and later Samuel Prescott, they rode off into the night,

pell-mell on fast horses because it was their job to go sound the alarm, to go convey the warning,

to stand up the defense.

And when the dawn arrived, when the next morning arrived, when the British troops arrived in Lexington, Massachusetts that next morning,

there was a welcoming party.

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