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The Midnight Ride of Paul Revere

On April 19, 1860, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow wrote:

Listen my children and you shall hear Of the midnight ride of Paul Revere,
 On the eighteenth of April, in Seventy-five;
 Hardly a man is now alive 
Who remembers that famous day and year.

To honor the 153rd anniversary of the poem—and the 238th anniversary of that immortally framed night—the Melaleuca Freedom Celebration prepared an annotated edition of The Midnight Ride of Paul Revere.

The U.S. History section of the Melaleuca Freedom Celebration website is especially valuable for homeschoolers, but is meant to be enjoyed by freedom-loving people of all ages. Current features include a U.S. Presidents infographic, a Pearl Harbor infographic, and a library-in-progress of articles about our Founding Fathers. Additional content is added frequently, so keep checking back.

By the way, do you know the name of Paul Revere’s horse? How about the name of the person who hung the lanterns in the bell tower of Old North Church? What … you don’t know? Find out today … and teach your children.

Make sure you are one who “remembers that famous day and year.” Read the annotated edition of The Midnight Ride of Paul Revere. It’s fun, it’s factual, and it’s free.

The Melaleuca Freedom Celebration is the largest Independence Day fireworks show west of the Mississippi—but it’s not held in Seattle, San Francisco, or Salt Lake City. It takes place in little Idaho Falls, Idaho, not far from the Teton Mountains and Yellowstone National Park.

Idaho Falls is home to the corporate headquarters of Melaleuca, Inc., an international health and wellness products company and the sponsor of the Freedom Celebration for over 20 years.

The choreographed show is preceded by other special events alongside the river, during the day of the celebration. Beginning about two hours before sunset, attendees can enjoy a family-style buffet dinner, held at a perfect spot for viewing the show—and at an amazingly reasonable price.

Sometimes, small towns are the bastions of freedom. It would certainly be difficult to find a community or a gathering more determined to honor and enjoy the blessings of our country—blessings hard-fought and won by those who gave their lives in our defense—than Idaho Falls and the Melaleuca Freedom Celebration.

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2 Comments

  1. I love this poem by Longfellow!! It brings tears to my eyes every time! My 13 year old is doing a small literature unit on this poem and subject right now. I wish I could be there for this celebration, it sounds wonderful, but we are 1000 or so too many miles away. 🙂
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  2. 20 years ago I decided to memorize “Paul Revere’s Ride.”. Influenced by TV miniseries, “The First Olympics: Athens 1896.” A couple of the athletes recited that poem as they did their morning jog, to keep the pace. I thought that was great. Older generations memorized and recited poetry for entertainment. I encourage my kids to exercise their memory muscle in that way (poetry, scripture verses, etc), and I should continue to do the same ;:)

    We’ve been to the Meleleuca Fourth of July show. It’s quite something. Plus, we really love visiting Idaho Falls.

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