As the war began, Paul Revere printed the first Continental currency. On March 29, 1776, Revere became a member of the Committee of Correspondence. On April 10, he was commissioned a Major of the militia. He was promoted to Lieutenant Colonel that fall. In late 1778, he was put in command of three artillery companies of the Massachusetts State Train of Artillery at Castle Island in Boston Harbor. After participating in the Penobscot Expedition in July-August 1779, Revere was accused of disobedience, unsoldierly conduct and cowardice. On September 6, 1779, he was relieved of his command at Castle Island and placed under house arrest. A courtmartial finally convened in February 1782 and Revere was acquitted of the charges.
After the War: 1782-1818
After the war, Revere expanded his business interests. He ran a hardware store until 1789. In 1788 he opened a foundry and even began casting bells in 1792. In 1801, he opened the first copper rolling mill in America. In 1803, he provided copper sheeting for the U. S. S. Constitution's hull and the dome of the Massachusetts State House. In 1809, Revere ended his forty-nine year membership in the Free Masons. In 1811, he retired and turned over his businesses to his sons and grandsons. In 1813, his second wife Rachel and his son Paul died, which saddened him greatly. On May 10, 1818, Paul Revere died of natural causes at the age of eighty-three. He had outlived two wives and all but five of his sixteen children.
