Smalls, Robert, 1839-1915

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Robert Smalls (April 5, 1839 – February 23, 1915) was an American politician, publisher, businessman, and naval pilot. Born into slavery in Beaufort, South Carolina, he freed himself, his crew, and their families during the American Civil War by commandeering a Confederate transport ship, CSS Planter, in Charleston harbor, on May 13, 1862, and sailing it from Confederate-controlled waters of the harbor to the U.S. blockade that surrounded it. He then piloted the ship to the Union-controlled enclave in Beaufort-Port Royal-Hilton Head area, where it became a Union warship. His example and persuasion helped convince President Abraham Lincoln to accept African-American soldiers into the Union Army.

After the American Civil War he returned to Beaufort and became a politician, winning election as a Republican to the South Carolina Legislature and the United States House of Representatives during the Reconstruction era. Smalls authored state legislation providing for South Carolina to have the first free and compulsory public school system in the United States. He founded the Republican Party of South Carolina. Smalls was the last Republican to represent South Carolina's 5th congressional district until 2011.

Robert Smalls was born in 1839 to Lydia Polite, a woman enslaved by Henry McKee. She gave birth to him in a cabin behind McKee's house, at 511 Prince Street in Beaufort, South Carolina. He grew up in the city under the influence of the Lowcountry Gullah culture of his mother. His mother lived as a servant in the house but grew up in the fields. Robert was favored over other slaves, so his mother worried that he might grow up not understanding the plight of field slaves, and asked for him to be made to work in the fields and to witness whipping.

When he was 12, at the request of his mother, Smalls' master sent him to Charleston to hire out as a laborer for one dollar a week, with the rest of the wage being paid to his master. The youth first worked in a hotel, then became a lamplighter on Charleston's streets. In his teen years, his love of the sea led him to find work on Charleston's docks and wharves. Smalls worked as a longshoreman, a rigger, a sail maker, and eventually worked his way up to become a wheelman, more or less a helmsman, though slaves were not permitted that title. As a result, he was very knowledgeable about Charleston harbor.

Archival Resources
Role Title Holding Repository
referencedIn Douglass, Frederick, c. 1817-1895. Papers, 1841-1967 (bulk 1862-1895) Library of Congress. Manuscript Division
referencedIn Records of the U.S. Senate, 1789 - 2015. Committee Papers, 1816 - 1946. Committee Papers of the Committee on Naval Affairs from the 44th Congress National Archives at Washington, D.C
referencedIn Records of the U.S. Senate, 1789 - 2015. Isaac Bassett's Papers, ca. 1880 - ca. 1895. [Box] 3 - Folder C National Archives at Washington, D.C
referencedIn [Photograph of Robert Smalls] [picture] 197u University of South Carolina, System Library Service, University Libraries
referencedIn Naval Records Collection of the Office of Naval Records and Library, 1691 - 1945. Press Copies of Vouchers for Contingent and Other Expenditures, 1/2/1862 - 6/30/1863 National Archives at Washington, D.C
referencedIn Carter G. Woodson collection of Negro papers and related documents, 1803-1936 (inclusive), 1830-1927 (bulk), [microform]. Yale University Library
referencedIn Cohen, Hennig. Hennig Cohen papers, 1946-1993. University of South Carolina, System Library Service, University Libraries
referencedIn Dickinson, Robert, b. 1830. Robert Dickinson papers, 1862. University of South Carolina, System Library Service, University Libraries
referencedIn Honour, Theodore Augustus, 1831-1913. Theodore Augustus Honour papers, 1859-1865. University of South Carolina, System Library Service, University Libraries
referencedIn Carter Godwin Woodson Papers, 1736-1974, (bulk 1915-1950) Library of Congress. Manuscript Division
referencedIn Planter (Ship). Records of the steamship Planter, 1861-1862. South Carolina Historical Society
referencedIn Penn School Papers, 1862-2004 and undated (bulk 1862-1978) University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Library. Southern Historical Collection
referencedIn Rufus and S. Willard Saxton papers, 1834-1934 Yale University. Department of Manuscripts and Archives
referencedIn Records of the U.S. House of Representatives, 1789 - 2015. Committee Papers, 1793 - 1946. Committee Papers of the Committee on Elections from the 47th Congress National Archives at Washington, D.C
referencedIn Guide to the Daily Worker and Daily World Photographs Collection, 1920-2001 Tamiment Library and Robert F. Wagner Labor Archives
referencedIn Records of the Adjutant General's Office, 1762 - 1984. Letters Received, 1805 - 1889. 1888 - File No. 3386 - Cannon, J C National Archives at Washington, D.C
referencedIn Rhu, Sarah. From Civil War hero to convicted congressman: the triumph and tragedy of Robert Smalls, [2007] / Sarah Rhu, Historical Paper, Junior Division. University of South Carolina, System Library Service, University Libraries
referencedIn Johnston, William, 1776-1840. William Johnston Papers, 1726-1971. University of South Carolina, System Library Service, University Libraries
referencedIn Woodward, Ashbel, 1804-1885. Ashbel Woodward biography collection, undated. Connecticut Historical Society
referencedIn Records of the U.S. House of Representatives, 1789 - 2015. Committee Papers, 1793 - 1946. Committee Papers of the Committee on Elections from the 50th Congress National Archives at Washington, D.C
Relation Name
associatedWith Cohen, Hennig. person
associatedWith Dickinson, Robert, b. 1830. person
associatedWith Douglass, Frederick, 1818-1895. person
associatedWith Honour, Theodore Augustus, 1831-1913. person
associatedWith Johnston, William, 1776-1840. person
associatedWith Penn School (Saint Helena Island, S.C.) corporateBody
associatedWith Planter (Ship) corporateBody
associatedWith Rhu, Sarah. person
associatedWith Saxton, Rufus, 1824-1908. person
memberOf South Carolina. General Assembly. House of Representatives corporateBody
memberOf South Carolina. General Assembly. Senate corporateBody
memberOf United States. Army corporateBody
memberOf United States. Congress. House person
memberOf United States. Navy corporateBody
associatedWith Woodson, Carter Godwin, 1875-1950. person
associatedWith Woodward, Ashbel, 1804-1885. person
Place Name Admin Code Country
Beaufort SC US
Charleston SC US
Beaufort SC US
Subject
Occupation
Businessmen
Federal Government Official
Laborers
Publishers
Representatives, U.S. Congress
Sailors
Seamen
Slaves
Soldiers
State Representative
State Senator
Activity

Person

Birth 1839-04-05

Death 1915-02-23

Male

Americans

English

Information

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