William Dawes facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
William Dawes Jr.
|
|
|---|---|
 |
|
| Born | 6 April 1745 |
| Died | 25 February 1799 (aged 53) |
| Occupation | Tanner |
| Spouse(s) | Mehitable May (1768–1793; divorce) Lydia Gendall |
| Children | 3 with Mehitable May and with Lydia Gendall |
| Parent(s) | William and Lydia Dawes |
William Dawes Jr. (born April 6, 1745 – died February 25, 1799) was an important figure in the early days of the American Revolution. In April 1775, he was one of several brave men who rode to warn minutemen in Massachusetts. They alerted the local militias that British soldiers were on their way. This warning happened just before the first battles of the war, known as the Battles of Lexington and Concord. For a long time, Paul Revere was the most famous person for his warning ride. However, William Dawes also played a very important role.
Contents
Early Life and Family
William Dawes Jr. was born in Boston, Massachusetts, on April 6, 1745. His parents were William and Lydia Dawes. He was baptized at the Old South Church in Boston. William grew up to become a tanner, which means he prepared animal hides to make leather. He was also an active member of Boston's local militia.
On May 3, 1768, William Dawes married Mehitable May. She was the daughter of Samuel and Catherine May. A newspaper called the Boston Gazette reported something special about his wedding. William wore a suit that was made entirely in North America. At that time, many colonists, called Whigs, were trying to stop buying British goods. This was a way to pressure the British Parliament to remove unpopular taxes, like the Townshend Acts.
Dawes' Role in the Boston Militia
William Dawes was very involved in the Boston militia. On April 8, 1768, he was chosen to be a member of the Ancient and Honorable Artillery Company of Massachusetts. He later became the Company's second sergeant in 1770. After the American Revolution, the Company became active again in 1786. Dawes was then appointed as the Company clerk. His father, William Dawes Sr., was also a member of this important group.
In September 1774, it is believed that Dawes helped the Boston militia's artillery company. He likely played a key part in keeping their four small cannons safe from British army control. The Massachusetts Provincial Congress even sent him a message in February 1775. They asked him to help move two of those weapons out of Boston.
On another occasion, Dawes and some friends performed a daring act. They secretly took two cannons from a building guarded by a British soldier. They snuck the cannons out a back window. Then, they hid them in a woodbox inside a nearby schoolhouse. The British authorities questioned the schoolmaster when they discovered the missing cannons. But the schoolmaster calmly denied knowing anything, even resting his feet on the woodbox where the cannons were hidden! Dawes hurt his wrist during this adventure. Days later, he went to Dr. Joseph Warren, a fellow member of the Sons of Liberty, for treatment. Dr. Warren probably knew about the cannons. He wisely told Dawes it was best if he didn't know how Dawes got hurt.
The Midnight Ride to Warn Colonists
Dr. Joseph Warren, a leader of the Sons of Liberty, trusted William Dawes. On the night of April 18, 1775, Dr. Warren gave Dawes a crucial mission. It was clear that British soldiers were planning to march into the countryside. Dawes' job was to ride from Boston to Lexington, Massachusetts. His main goal was to warn John Hancock and Samuel Adams that they were in danger of being arrested. Dawes left Boston by the land route through the Boston Neck, just before the British military closed off the town.
At the same time, Paul Revere was also working with Dr. Warren. Revere arranged for a signal with lanterns in the Old North Church. This signal would tell another rider waiting across the Charles River in Charlestown about the British army's route. To make sure the message got through, Revere himself rowed across the river and started riding west. Later, the famous poem "Paul Revere's Ride" by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow would focus only on Revere. This poem made Revere seem like he was the only alarm rider that night, but many others helped.
Dawes and Revere both arrived at the Hancock–Clarke House in Lexington around midnight. Revere got there a little earlier. His route was shorter, and his horse was faster. After warning Adams and Hancock to leave, Revere and Dawes continued towards Concord. They suspected Concord might be the British soldiers' target. Revere knew that the Provincial Congress had stored weapons there, including the cannons Dawes had helped secure. On their way, they met Samuel Prescott, a young local doctor, who joined their ride.
A group of British officers on horseback were waiting on the road between Lexington and Concord. They had already arrested other riders trying to spread the news. They ordered Dawes, Revere, and Prescott to stop. The three men rode in different directions, hoping one of them would escape. Dawes, according to stories he told his children, rode into a house yard. He shouted that he had tricked two officers into following him there. Fearing an ambush, the officers stopped chasing him. However, Dawes's horse threw him off, and he had to walk back to Lexington. He later said he returned to the same yard the next morning and found his watch that had fallen from his pocket. We don't know much about what Dawes did during the actual Battle of Lexington and Concord.
The warnings given by Dawes and his companions were incredibly important. They allowed the town militias to gather enough fighters for the first open battle of the American Revolutionary War. This battle was also the first colonial victory. The British troops did not find most of the weapons they had marched to destroy. They also suffered many losses during their retreat to Boston as colonists attacked them.
Service During the American Revolution
On September 9, 1776, William Dawes was made a second major in the Boston militia regiment.
During the war, Dawes also worked as a quartermaster in central Massachusetts. A quartermaster is someone who provides supplies for an army. British prisoners of war from the Battle of Saratoga complained to the British Parliament that he gave them too few supplies. However, Dawes's family said he believed the prisoners were stealing from farmers as they were marched to Boston. This was a common problem with armies on the move.
Later Life and Legacy
William Dawes' first wife, Mehitable, died on May 19, 1794. Two years later, he married Lydia.
Dawes died in Marlborough, Massachusetts, on February 25, 1799. For a long time, people thought he was buried in the King's Chapel Burying Ground. But recent research suggests his resting place is now in his first wife's family plot. This plot is in Forest Hills Cemetery in Jamaica Plain.
Remembering William Dawes
The famous poem by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, "Paul Revere's Ride", has been criticized by historians. They say it makes Revere's role seem much bigger than it was. While Revere's story might have been more exciting, Dawes and Prescott were actually more successful in completing their missions that night. In 1896, Helen F. Moore wrote a funny poem that copied Longfellow's style. She did this because she was upset that William Dawes had been forgotten.
The author Malcolm Gladwell discusses the difference between Revere's and Dawes's achievements in his book The Tipping Point. He suggests that Revere was a "connector," someone who knows many people. Dawes, on the other hand, was more of an "ordinary man."
Dawes's ride is remembered on a small traffic island in Cambridge, Massachusetts. This spot is very busy with people walking. It's at the intersection of Garden Street and Massachusetts Avenue in Harvard Square. This area is even called Dawes Island. Bronze horseshoes are placed in the sidewalk to show his horse's hoofprints. There's also an inscription with his name and the date (though it incorrectly says April 19, 1775). Historical displays also tell his story there.
In the movie Knowing, some early scenes take place at William Dawes Elementary School in Lexington, Massachusetts.
Dawes's Descendants
William Dawes had many notable descendants. His great-grandson, Rufus Dawes, was a military officer during the American Civil War and later a congressman. Rufus Dawes's children included Charles G. Dawes, who became the Vice President of the United States under President Calvin Coolidge. Other children were Rufus C. Dawes, a businessman, Beman Gates Dawes, a businessman and congressman, and Henry M. Dawes, a businessman and banker. Another brother of Congressman Rufus Dawes was Major Ephraim C. Dawes. The television personality Bill Schulz (William Dawes Schulz) is also a descendant of Dawes. He is the grandson of Henry M. Dawes's daughter Mary.
William Dawes was also a first cousin of Thomas Dawes. Thomas Dawes was a colonel in the Revolutionary War, a famous architect, and held many government jobs. Another cousin, twice removed, was Congressman Henry L. Dawes (1812-1903).
Images for kids
