When people think about famous riders of the American Revolution, they usually think of Paul Revere. However, a teenage girl named Sybil Ludington completed an even longer ride to help warn Americans about the impending attack of the British.

Sybil Ludington was only sixteen years old when she made her famous ride in 1777 during the American Revolutionary War. Her father was a colonel in the colonial militia in New York. One night, a messenger arrived with news that British troops were attacking the nearby town of Danbury, Connecticut. Her father needed to gather local militia members quickly, but the soldiers were spread across farms and villages miles apart.

Sybil volunteered to ride through the countryside to warn them, and in the middle of the night, she rode about forty miles through rain and darkness, knocking on doors and shouting for the militia to gather. The ride was extremely dangerous because the roads were muddy and there were British soldiers and bandits in the area. By the time she returned home, hundreds of soldiers had been alerted and were ready to fight. Although the town of Danbury was still damaged, the militia helped push the British forces back. Sybil’s bravery showed that even young people could make an important difference during wartime.

For many years, Sybil Ludington’s story was not widely taught in schools, even though her ride was longer than Paul Revere’s. Today, historians are working to highlight stories like hers, so more people understand the many contributions women made during the American Revolution.