Tonight, we’ll be reading a medley of poems concerning Independence Day. Titles include, "The New Colossus" by Emma Lazarus, "Concord Hymn" by Ralph Waldo Emerson, "I Hear America Singing" by Walt Whitman, "To The Fourth of July" by Swami Vivekanada and, "The Building of a Ship" by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. We'll begin with, "Paul Revere's Ride" also by Longfellow. The poem commemorates the actions of Paul Revere on April 18, 1775. Modern critics emphasize the poem's many historical inaccuracies, most significantly perhaps is Longfellow giving sole credit to Revere for the collective achievements of multiple riders.