Sybil Ludington

If you grew up in Putnam County, as I did, you know that the single greatest hero of the American Revolution was not George Washington, nor Nathan Hale, nor Paul Revere. It was undeniably Sybil Ludington, who rode a horse through Putnam and Dutchess Counties in the rain to gather the colonists to fight the British at Danbury, CT.

Ludington is much, much cooler than Paul Revere for several reasons. First, she was a woman. Automatic bonus points. Second, she was only 16 when she made the trip, which I imagine did not involve riding side-saddle. Third, she rode through my hometown, only the greatest place in the world after a few other really great places. Fourth, her wikipedia entry uses exclamation points!

But the most important reason that Sybil Ludington is the coolest hero of the Revolution is that she has an awesome statue in Carmel, NY that foams at the mouth. I mean, literally, white plaster from the inside bursts out of her mouth every few months, and someone from the town has to brush her teeth to keep her from looking rabid. You can read about it in the New York Times, in the first article I remember reading in that paper.

The truth is, though, she is rabid. The most rabid, bad-ass revolutionary there ever was.