Congress sent him to Philadelphia to learn the art of making powder, and on his return he set up a mill. The president of the Congress (Joseph Warren) chose

to warn the people of Lexington and Concord of the expedition sent thither by Gage (April 18, 1775), and to tell Adams and Hancock of their danger. He was made a prisoner while on his way from Lexington towards Concord, but was soon

The public revenue of the United States is now derived from three general sources. The sources and amounts for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1904, were: Customs, $262,013,079; internal revenue, Revere as one of his trusted messengers $232,873,721; and miscellaneous, $46,628,843-total, $541,515,644. Under the war revenue act, which went into effect on July 13, 1898, and was greatly modified on July 1, 1901, the sum of $310,053,363 was collected up to June 1, 1901. The sources of internal revenue and their several amounts in 1903-04 were as follows: From spirits, $135,779,720; tobacco, $44,655,801; fermented liquors, $49,083,458; and miscellaneous, $46,628,843. In 1900-01 the total revenue was $587,685,337, which included $40,194,641 of war stamp taxes.

Revere, JOSEPH WARREN, grandson of Paul Revere; born in Boston, May 17, 1812; was an officer in the United States navy, 1828-50. During the Civil War he became colonel of a New Jersey regiment, and was promoted brigadier-general in 1862. He was court martialled in 1863, but the sentence was revoked by President Lincoln in 1864. Revere retired to private life in 1864, and died in Hoboken, N. J., April 20, 1880.

Revere, PAUL, patriot; born in Boston, Mass., Jan. 1, 1735. Was descended from the Huguenots, and was educated in his father's trade of goldsmith. In the French and Indian War he was at Fort Edward, on the upper Hudson, as a lieutenant of artillery, and on his return he established himself as a goldsmith, and, without instruction, became a copper-plate engraver. He was one of four engravers in America when the Revolutionary War broke out. He had engraved, in 1766, a print emblematic of the repeal of the Stamp Act, and in 1767 another called "The Seventeen Rescinders." He published a print of the Boston massacre, in 1770, and from that time became one of the most active opponents of the acts of Parliament. Revere engraved the plates, made the press, and printed the bills of credit, or paper money, of Massachusetts, issued in 1775; he also engraved the plates for the "Continental money." He was sent by the Sons of Liberty, of Boston, to confer with their brethren in New York and Philadelphia. Early in 1775 the Provincial

PAUL REVERE.

released. Longfellow made Revere's midnight ride the subject of his well-known poem. He served in the military corps for the defence of his State, and after the war he cast church bells and cannon; and he founded the copper-works at Canton, Mass., afterwards carried on by the Revere Copper Company. He was the first in the United States to smelt copper ore and roll it into sheets. In 1795 Revere, as grand master of the masonic order, laid the corner-stone of the Statehouse in Boston. He died in Boston, Mass., May 10, 1818.

Revolution, DIPLOMACY OF THE.

As Americans began to contemplate the necessoon as the idea of independence had taken sity of foreign aid, material and moral. the practical shape of a resolution and The Congress appointed a secret comdeclaration adopted by Congress, the mittee of correspondence for the purpose,

and sent Silas Deane upon a half-com- Meanwhile the Continental Congress had

66

"

mercial, half-diplomatic mission to France. sent John Jay as ambassador to Spain, to Franklin was at first opposed to seeking win the active friendship of that power. foreign alliances. "A virgin State," he He could effect nothing; and it was well he said, 'should preserve the virgin char- did not, as subsequent events manifested. acter, and not go about suitoring for al- From the time of the treaty of alliance liances, but wait with decent dignity for with France, the action of Spain towards the application of others." But Franklin the United States was selfish, hypocritical, soon became the chief suitor in Europe, for and often sullen. She declared war in the autumn of 1776 he was sent as against England for her own selfish purcommissioner to France to seek an al- pose, but it worked in favor of the Ameriliance and material aid. The aid was cans by keeping British troops employed furnished through Beaumarchais, at first elsewhere than in America. The Count secretly, and afterwards by the govern- d'Aranda, the Spanish minister in France, ment openly. The American commission- who had watched the course of events with ers proposed a treaty of alliance with keen vision from the beginning to the end France, but the French government hesi- of the American war for independence, tated, for it did not then desire an open suggested to his sovereign, as an antidote rupture with England; but when the to American independence, the formation news of the defeat and capture of Bur- of the Spanish-American colonies into ingoyne's army, late in 1777, reached France, the King no longer hesitated, and a treaty of amity, commerce, and alliance was consummated in February,

1778.

The recognition of the independence of the United States involved France in war with England, and the latter sent commissioners to negotiate with the Americans for peace. The terms were not satisfactory, and the mission failed. The French government pressed Spain to join in espousing the cause of the Americans, but that power hesitated, because a support of such a republican system in America might be dangerous to the integrity of her own colonial system in that part of the world. In this feeling France had been alike cautious, and for the same reasons. They had agreed that while it would not be politic to invade the rights of the British crown, they would evade the obligations of treaties, for both had a mischievous intent to foment the disturbances between England and her American colonies. While doing this secretly, they held the language of honest neutrality. When, therefore, France had determined openly to espouse the cause of the Americans, Spain was urged to do likewise; but the Spanish Court could not be persuaded to go beyond a certain point. The French minister, with keen prescience, saw ultimate independence for America, while the Spanish Court dreaded such a result.

dependent Spanish monarchies. He said, in reference to the treaty of peace in 1783: "The independence of the English colonies has been, then, recognized. It is for me a subject of grief and fear. France has but few possessions in America; but she was bound to consider that Spain, her most intimate ally, had many, and that she now stands exposed to terrible reverses. From the beginning France has acted against her true interests in encouraging and supporting this independence, and so I have often declared to the ministers of this nation."

When the armed neutrality was proposed in 1780, the Americans gladly joined the European powers with their moral influence (all they could then give), for it would aid themselves by weakening England. Its results were disappointing to the other powers, but it added to the open enemies of England. The Congress, in instructions to Dana at St. Petersburg, had said: "You will readily perceive that it must be a leading and capital point, if these United States shall be formally admitted as a party to the convention of the neutral maritime powers for maintaining the freedom of commerce." Thus early, while yet fighting for independence, the American statesmen assumed the dignity and used the language of the representatives of a powerful nation, which they certainly expected to form.

The Americans had opened negotiations with the States-General of Holland

for a treaty as early as 1778. William, following he had completed the negotiabrother of Richard Henry and Arthur tion of a treaty with Holland, and signed Lee, had begun the discussion of such a it with great satisfaction. It was a treaty with Van Berkel, the pensionary "Treaty of Alliance between their High of Amsterdam. This negotiation with a Mightinesses the States - General of the single province was made in secret. Lee United Netherlands and the United States had no authority to sign a treaty, nor of America." This treaty was not altocould the expression of a single province gether dependent upon the alliance of the bind the Dutch Republic. Finally, Henry United States with France, and was a step Laurens was sent by Congress to negotiate forward in the march of the former towa treaty with the States-General, but was ards independent national existence. The captured while crossing the Atlantic, and final great act in the diplomacy of the imprisoned in England. Then John Adams Revolution was the negotiation of a treaty was sent for the purpose to The Hague. of peace with England. In their foreign diEarly in 1782, through the joint exertions plomacy the Congress had been greatly aidof Mr. Adams and the French minister ed at almost every step by the enlightened at The Hague, the provinces, one after an- wisdom, prudence, and firmness of Count other, consented to the public recognition Gravier de Vergennes, who was a faithof Mr. Adams, and so openly recognized ful servant of his King, while he earnestly the independence of the United States. desired the boon of the enjoyment of raHe was publicly introduced to the Prince tional liberty for all peoples. He died of Orange on April 22, 1782. In October soon after the peace.

REVOLUTIONARY WAR

Revolutionary War, the popular name of the struggle of the American colonies against Great Britain for independence in 1775-83; also known in American history as the first war for independence. For a detailed statement of causes the reader is referred to DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE. The following is a chronological record of the war:

Battle of Lexington, Mass., at dawn of
April 19, 1775

Col. Samuel H. Parsons and Benedict
Arnold plan, at Hartford, Conn., the
capture of Fort Ticonderoga, N. Y.

April 27, 1775 Arnold leads his company from New Haven to Boston, arriving..

cans..

April 29, 1775 Fort Ticonderoga captured by Ethan Allen . May 10, 1775 Crown Point, N. Y., captured by Ameri. May 12, 1775 Americans under Benedict Arnold capture St. John, Canada...... May 16, 1775 Eritish Generals Howe, Clinton, and Burgoyne arrive at Boston from England with troops. May 25, 1775 Congress votes to raise 20,000 men..

June 22, 1775

exceeding two million of Spanish milled dollars be emitted by Congress in bills of credit for the defence of America.". Washington takes command of the army at Cambridge. .....July 3, 1775 Declaration by Congress, the causes and necessity for taking up arms.. July 6, 1775 First provincial vessel commissioned for naval warfare in the Revolution, sent out by Georgia........July 10, 1775 Importation of gunpowder, saltpetre, sulphur, and fire-arms permitted by act of Congress. .July 15, 1775 Georgia joins the United Colonies...

July 20, 1775

Franklin's plan of confederation and
perpetual union, "The United Colo-
nies of North America," considered
by Congress.
.July 21, 1775
Congress resolves to establish an army
hospital.
...July 27, 1775
British vessel, the Betsy, surprised by
a Carolina privateer off St. Augustine
bar, and 111 barrels of powder capt-
ured
...Aug., 1775
King issues a proclamation for suppress-
ing rebellion and sedition in the
colonies.
.Aug. 23, 1775
American troops under Gen. Richard
Montgomery sent into Canada to cut
off British supplies....
..Sept., 1775
Col. Benedict Arnold, with a force of
about 1,100 men, marches against
Quebec via Kennebec River.... .Sept., 1775
English ship seized off Tybee Island,
Ga.. by the Liberty people, with 250
barrels of powder...
.Sept. 17, 1775

Nov. 12, 1775 van .Nov. 13, 1775