The Other Ride of Paul Revere:
Brokerage Role
in the Making of the American Revolution
Shin-Kap Han
The Other Ride of Paul Revere:
Brokerage Role
in the Making of the American Revolution
1. Question
2. Issues – Historical and
Sociological
3. Data – Membership Networks
4. Findings
5. Summary and Conclusion
Folklore vs. History
Midnight Ride of Paul Revere (1931) by Grant Wood
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York
Folklore vs. History
(???)
“an uncanny genius for being at the center of events”
(Fischer 1994)
Sociological Framing
Sociological Framing
The Black Box
A Historiographical Blind Spot?
A Sociological Black Box?
What was his real importance?
What was the nature of the role he played?
The Other Ride
• Revere’s role in the mobilization process of the
Revolutionary movement from a social structural
perspective
The Other Ride
• Revere’s role in the mobilization process of the
Revolutionary movement from a social structural
perspective
• Spanned various social chasms and connected
disparate organizational elements
– A bridge par excellence across the “structural
holes”
The Mechanism
Issues:
Brokerage
• A process “by which intermediary actors
facilitate transactions between other actors
lacking access to or trust in one another”
(Marsden 1982)
Issues:
Incentives in Brokerage
• “Commissions”
(Marsden)
• “Tertius Gaudens”
(Burt)
• “Tariff” (Boissevain)
 His was pro bono.
Issues:
Incentives in Brokerage
• “Commissions”
(Marsden)
• “Tertius Gaudens”
(Burt)
• “Tariff” (Boissevain)
• Interest in keeping
the holes from being
closed up
 His was pro bono.
 He filled the holes.
Issues:
Incentives in Brokerage
•
• “Commissions”
(Marsden)
Competitive
• “Tertius Gaudens”
(Burt)
• “Tariff” (Boissevain)
Interest in keeping
the holes from being
closed up
Setting
 His was pro
bono.
 HeSetting
filled the holes.
Non-Competitive
Issues:
Brokerage and Mobilization
• A process “by which intermediary actors
facilitate transactions between other actors
lacking access to or trust in one another”
(Marsden 1982)
– “bridge-and-cluster” structure
– “weakly coupled” structure
Efficacy or Potential of
Collective Action
High
Fragmented
structure deficient
in bridging ties
Low
Network Configuration
Densely
connected
structure
High
Efficacy or Potential of
Collective Action
Cluster-andbridge
structure
Fragmented
structure deficient
in bridging ties
Low
Network Configuration
Densely
connected
structure
Issues:
Brokerage and Mobilization
• Structural problems inherent in any large-scale
mobilization process ― Mobilizing “men of all
orders”
– Levels – “multiorganizational fields” (i.e.,
networks of organizations)
– Multiplexity – overlaps and intersections
Issues:
Brokerage and Mobilization
• Structural problems inherent in any large-scale
mobilization process ― Mobilizing “men of all
orders”
– Levels – “multiorganizational fields” (i.e.,
networks of organizations)
– Multiplexity – overlaps and intersections
Issues:
Brokerage and Mobilization
• Structural problems inherent in any large-scale
mobilization process ― Mobilizing “men of all
orders”
– Levels – “multiorganizational fields” (i.e.,
networks of organizations)
– Multiplexity – overlaps and intersections
Late 18th
Issues:
Century British American Colonies
• Fault lines
– “Tories, true blue, and the timid”
– “The better sort and the lower sort”
– Militia and crowd
• Organizational infrastructure: Diffuse alliances
In the middle of it all was Revere, as a
communicator, coordinator, and organizer.
Late 18th
Issues:
Century British American Colonies
• Fault lines
– “Tories, true blue, and the timid”
– “The better sort and the lower sort”
– Militia and crowd
• Organizational infrastructure: Diffuse alliances
In the middle of it all was Revere, as a
communicator, coordinator, and organizer.
Late 18th
Issues:
Century British American Colonies
• Fault lines
– “Tories, true blue, and the timid”
– “The better sort and the lower sort”
– Militia and crowd
• Organizational infrastructure: Diffuse alliances
In the middle of it all was Revere, as a
communicator, coordinator, and organizer.
Data
(1994. Oxford University Press)
Membership List of Five Whig Groups
2-Mode (Affiliation) Network Data
Matrix Operations
A (P-by-G)
AT (G-by-P)
A(AT) = P-by-P
AT(A) = G-by-G
Findings, I
Linkages Between Organizations and
Their Members
1762
St. Andrews Lodge (N = 53)
48
2
1763
1764
1765
P. Revere
1766
Loyal Nine (N =10)
5
2
3
1767
J. Warren
1768
1769
S. Adams,
B. Church
1770
1771
North End Caucus (N = 60)
45
3
6
2
1772
1773
Long Room Club (N = 17)
10
1774
Boston Committee of Correspondence (N = 21)
10
6
2
2
2
2
1762
St. Andrews Lodge (N = 53)
48
2
1763
1764
1765
P. Revere
1766
Loyal Nine (N =10)
5
2
3
1767
J. Warren
1768
1769
S. Adams,
B. Church
1770
1771
North End Caucus (N = 60)
45
3
6
2
1772
1773
Long Room Club (N = 17)
10
1774
Boston Committee of Correspondence (N = 21)
10
6
2
2
2
2
Findings, II
Revere’s Place
Distribution of Centrality Scores
25
100
J. Warren
90
20
P. Revere
80
15
T. Urann
70
10
60
S. Adams,
B. Church
5
50
0
1
40
1
37
(a) Betweenness Centrality
13
1
7
(b) Closeness Centrality
Network Structure of the Revolutionary
Movement in Boston: All (Density = .725)
3
2
Urann
5
Revere
4
Warren
1
Network Structure of the Revolutionary
Movement in Boston: All (Density = .725)
3
2
Urann
5
Revere
4
Warren
1
Network Structure of the Revolutionary
Movement in Boston: W/O 2 (D = .500)
Changes (%) in Average Path Distance
Findings, III
Linkages Across Social Divides
Membership Characteristics
Titles in Fischer
——————————————————
Militia
Merchant
N
(%)
St. Andrew’s Lodge (N = 53)
17 (32.1)
Loyal Nine (N = 10)
1 (10.0)
North End Caucus (N = 60)
4 (6.7)
Long Room Club (N = 17)
1 (5.9)
Boston Committee of (N = 21) 0 (0.0)
Correspondence
N
(%)
Harvard
College
N
Maier’s
Number of
Index Memberships
(%)
Mean
Mean
6 (11.3)
6 (60.0)
17 (28.3)
6 (35.3)
12 (57.1)
1 (1.9)
1 (10.0)
7 (11.7)
10 (58.8)
5 (23.8)
.62
1.30
1.73
6.24
4.57
1.15
1.50
1.33
1.71
1.71
Total/Average
23 (16.8)
47 (34.3)
24 (17.5)
2.19
1.37
L2
F-ratio
d.f
p
22.05
.
4
.000
21.26
.
4
.000
29.85
.
4
.000
.
4.11
4
.003
.
3.88
4
.005
τ-b
Linearity
p
–.308
.
.000
.254
.
.000
.314
.
.000
.
11.69
.001
.
12.69
.000
Membership Characteristics
Titles in Fischer
——————————————————
Militia
Merchant
N
(%)
St. Andrew’s Lodge (N = 53)
17 (32.1)
Loyal Nine (N = 10)
1 (10.0)
North End Caucus (N = 60)
4 (6.7)
Long Room Club (N = 17)
1 (5.9)
Boston Committee of (N = 21) 0 (0.0)
Correspondence
N
(%)
Harvard
College
N
Maier’s
Number of
Index Memberships
(%)
Mean
Mean
6 (11.3)
6 (60.0)
17 (28.3)
6 (35.3)
12 (57.1)
1 (1.9)
1 (10.0)
7 (11.7)
10 (58.8)
5 (23.8)
.62
1.30
1.73
6.24
4.57
1.15
1.50
1.33
1.71
1.71
Total/Average
23 (16.8)
47 (34.3)
24 (17.5)
2.19
1.37
L2
F-ratio
d.f
p
22.05
.
4
.000
21.26
.
4
.000
29.85
.
4
.000
.
4.11
4
.003
.
3.88
4
.005
τ-b
Linearity
p
–.308
.
.000
.254
.
.000
.314
.
.000
.
11.69
.001
.
12.69
.000
Membership Characteristics
Titles in Fischer
——————————————————
Militia
Merchant
N
(%)
St. Andrew’s Lodge (N = 53)
17 (32.1)
Loyal Nine (N = 10)
1 (10.0)
North End Caucus (N = 60)
4 (6.7)
Long Room Club (N = 17)
1 (5.9)
Boston Committee of (N = 21) 0 (0.0)
Correspondence
N
(%)
Harvard
College
N
Maier’s
Number of
Index Memberships
(%)
Mean
Mean
6 (11.3)
6 (60.0)
17 (28.3)
6 (35.3)
12 (57.1)
1 (1.9)
1 (10.0)
7 (11.7)
10 (58.8)
5 (23.8)
.62
1.30
1.73
6.24
4.57
1.15
1.50
1.33
1.71
1.71
Total/Average
23 (16.8)
47 (34.3)
24 (17.5)
2.19
1.37
L2
F-ratio
d.f
p
22.05
.
4
.000
21.26
.
4
.000
29.85
.
4
.000
.
4.11
4
.003
.
3.88
4
.005
τ-b
Linearity
p
–.308
.
.000
.254
.
.000
.314
.
.000
.
11.69
.001
.
12.69
.000
Membership Characteristics
Titles in Fischer
——————————————————
Militia
Merchant
N
(%)
St. Andrew’s Lodge (N = 53)
17 (32.1)
Loyal Nine (N = 10)
1 (10.0)
North End Caucus (N = 60)
4 (6.7)
Long Room Club (N = 17)
1 (5.9)
Boston Committee of (N = 21) 0 (0.0)
Correspondence
N
(%)
Harvard
College
N
Maier’s
Number of
Index Memberships
(%)
Mean
Mean
6 (11.3)
6 (60.0)
17 (28.3)
6 (35.3)
12 (57.1)
1 (1.9)
1 (10.0)
7 (11.7)
10 (58.8)
5 (23.8)
.62
1.30
1.73
6.24
4.57
1.15
1.50
1.33
1.71
1.71
Total/Average
23 (16.8)
47 (34.3)
24 (17.5)
2.19
1.37
L2
F-ratio
d.f
p
22.05
.
4
.000
21.26
.
4
.000
29.85
.
4
.000
.
4.11
4
.003
.
3.88
4
.005
τ-b
Linearity
p
–.308
.
.000
.254
.
.000
.314
.
.000
.
11.69
.001
.
12.69
.000
Membership Characteristics
Titles in Fischer
——————————————————
Militia
Merchant
N
(%)
St. Andrew’s Lodge (N = 53)
17 (32.1)
Loyal Nine (N = 10)
1 (10.0)
North End Caucus (N = 60)
4 (6.7)
Long Room Club (N = 17)
1 (5.9)
Boston Committee of (N = 21) 0 (0.0)
Correspondence
N
(%)
Harvard
College
N
Maier’s
Number of
Index Memberships
(%)
Mean
Mean
6 (11.3)
6 (60.0)
17 (28.3)
6 (35.3)
12 (57.1)
1 (1.9)
1 (10.0)
7 (11.7)
10 (58.8)
5 (23.8)
.62
1.30
1.73
6.24
4.57
1.15
1.50
1.33
1.71
1.71
Total/Average
23 (16.8)
47 (34.3)
24 (17.5)
2.19
1.37
L2
F-ratio
d.f
p
22.05
.
4
.000
21.26
.
4
.000
29.85
.
4
.000
.
4.11
4
.003
.
3.88
4
.005
τ-b
Linearity
p
–.308
.
.000
.254
.
.000
.314
.
.000
.
11.69
.001
.
12.69
.000
Membership Characteristics
Titles in Fischer
——————————————————
Militia
Merchant
N
(%)
St. Andrew’s Lodge (N = 53)
17 (32.1)
Loyal Nine (N = 10)
1 (10.0)
North End Caucus (N = 60)
4 (6.7)
Long Room Club (N = 17)
1 (5.9)
Boston Committee of (N = 21) 0 (0.0)
Correspondence
N
(%)
Harvard
College
N
Maier’s
Number of
Index Memberships
(%)
Mean
Mean
6 (11.3)
6 (60.0)
17 (28.3)
6 (35.3)
12 (57.1)
1 (1.9)
1 (10.0)
7 (11.7)
10 (58.8)
5 (23.8)
.62
1.30
1.73
6.24
4.57
1.15
1.50
1.33
1.71
1.71
Total/Average
23 (16.8)
47 (34.3)
24 (17.5)
2.19
1.37
L2
F-ratio
d.f
p
22.05
.
4
.000
21.26
.
4
.000
29.85
.
4
.000
.
4.11
4
.003
.
3.88
4
.005
τ-b
Linearity
p
–.308
.
.000
.254
.
.000
.314
.
.000
.
11.69
.001
.
12.69
.000
Changing of the Guards
Period 1
(1762, 1766, 1771)
Period 1
(1762, 1766, 1771)
Period 2
(1766, 1771, 1773)
Period 2
(1766, 1771, 1773)
Period 3
(1771, 1773, 1774)
6
Period 3
(1771, 1773, 1774)
6
Old Leaders
Fading Out
New Leaders
Emerging
Joseph Warren
4
4
Paul Revere
1762
1766
2
1770
1774
Henry Bass,
Thomas Chase,
Benjamin Edes
0
Thomas Crafts,
Henry Welles
Betweenness Centrality (Standardized)
Betweenness Centrality (Standardized)
Samuel Adams,
Benjamin Church
John Adams
1762
1766
2
Thomas Young,
Nathaniel Appleton,
William Dennie,
Joseph Greenleaf,
Nathaniel Barber,
William Molineux
0
James Otis,
Josiah Quincy
Thomas
Urann
-2
1770
-2
1774
Summary and Conclusion
• Revere’s importance was in his being an
extraordinarily effective bridge, chiefly due to its
high multiplexity and the unique ways in which it
was embedded in the social and organizational
setting of the 18th-century New England.
Where to go from here?
Where to go from here?
To Harness an Outbreak:
A Microstructural Account of Mobilization
for the March First Movement
• On March 1, 1919, the tenth year of Japanese
occupation of Korea, the largest mass movement
in Korean history began: For a period of two
months, more than two million Koreans directly
participated in more than 1,500 separate
gatherings all across the country, shouting “Long
Live Korean Independence!”
To Harness an Outbreak:
A Microstructural Account of Mobilization
for the March First Movement
• “Under the harsh colonial rule of imperial Japan
the nationalistic spirit of resistance had grown
and spread to all segments of Korean society
and had almost reached the point of explosion.”
An “inevitable” outbreak?
The Other Ride of Paul Revere:
Brokerage Role
in the Making of the American Revolution
1. Question
2. Issues – Historical and
Sociological
3. Data – Membership Networks
4. Findings
5. Summary and Conclusion
The Other Ride of Paul Revere:
Brokerage Role
in the Making of the American Revolution
Shin-Kap Han