In Paul Revere's ride, what does the spark struck by the horse's hoof "kindled the land into flame" mean?

Question

What does the author
mean by this?

Answer 1

It's a metaphor.
Horse shod with iron shoes will sometime strike sparks as they gallop across paving stones, just like using a flint and steel to strike a spark.
Since Paul Revere was galloping his horse as he rode to pass the message that the British were coming, it is presumable that his horse's shoes struck sparks where the crossed paving stones in town.
The message that Revere was riding to give started the Revolutionary War. A country at war can be described as a country "in flame" both literally (gun and cannon fire, etc) and figuratively (the emotional and rhetorical "flames" that conflict cause - or which cause conflict. It goes both ways).
So just as sparks from a flint & steel with cause dry tinder to light into flame, so Revere's ride (and his message) kindled the land into flame (started the war).

Answer 2

Kindled the flames of revolution.

Answer 3

the American Revolution. The same as another author penned "the shot heard around the world" -referring to the start of the american revolution.