Paul Revere and William Dawes rode from Lexington to Concord at night to warn of the advancing British troops who were seeking to capture rebel leaders and seize a cache of weapons. Along the way they met Dr. Prescott who joined them in warning the countryside. Although Revere was later captured, their ride helped alert colonial militias and allowed Minutemen to gather in response to the British movements, marking an important early event leading up to the American Revolutionary War.