5 Days
Born: April 5, 1839 in Beaufort, South Carolina
Died: February 23, 1915 in Beaufort, South Carolina
United States Representative, 1875–1879; 1882–1883; 1884–1887
Republican from South Carolina
An escaped slave and a Civil War naval hero, Robert Smalls served five terms in the U.S.
House of Representatives. While still a slave, Smalls was hired out on the waterfront and
became an expert navigator of the South Carolina and Georgia coasts.
During the Civil War, Smalls was conscripted into service by the Confederate Army
aboard an ammunition transport ship. On May 13, 1862, a Black crew captained by
Smalls hijacked the well-stocked ship and turned it over to the Union Navy. He became a
celebrity for the Union cause and thus began his career as a public figure. At the war’s
conclusion, Smalls received a commission as Brigadier general of the South Carolina
militia.
He embarked on business ventures, opening a store and a school for Black children in
1867. He played a leading role in the creation of South Carolina’s mandatory education
for all the state’s children.
Source: (https://www.nypl.org/events/exhibitions/galleries/robert-smalls)