The Montana 250th Commission is inviting all Montanans to celebrate the upcoming anniversaries to two seminal events in American history on April 18th and 19th: Paul Revere’s Ride and the spark of the American Revolution. The Commission was established by the Montana Legislature in 2023 and is charged with fostering civic engagement and raising awareness of both United States and Montana history, including the stories of Tribal nations, in preparation for the 250th anniversary of the founding of the United States of America and the signing of the Declaration of Independence in 2026.
On Friday, April 18th, Montanans will gather at the State Capitol in Helena to remember the famous “Midnight Ride of Paul Revere,” which warned colonists of the impending march of Redcoat troops from Boston to the communities of Lexington and Concord, Massachusetts. The event, called “Two Lights for Tomorrow,” will celebrate the role that Revere and other oft-forgotten colonists, like riders William Dawes and Samuel Prescott, played in sounding the alarm of the advancing “Regulars” toward munition stores. Members of the Montana 250th Commission, elected officials, and special guests will celebrate the anniversary with song and story, and light two lanterns that will remain illuminated overnight to recall the famed lanterns hung in Boston’s North Church steeple in 1775 (“One if by land, and two if by sea”). The event will begin at 10:00 a.m. in the Capitol Rotunda, and all are welcome to attend. LEARN MORE.