From Bondage to Bravery: The Extraordinary Journey of Robert Smalls

Welcome back to Unfit to be Bound: Black History Unchained on the NBG Podcast Network. In this episode, we uncover the incredible life of Robert Smalls, a man who transformed from an enslaved individual into a Civil War hero and a United States congressman.

Born into slavery in 1839, Robert Smalls faced the harsh realities of oppression from a young age. His determination and intelligence led him to work in Charleston Harbor, where he gained valuable skills in navigation and seamanship. These skills would become crucial during the Civil War. His story is a powerful reminder that individual acts of bravery can change the course of history.

Thanks for tuning in to this episode of Unfit to be Bound: Black History Unchained. If you enjoyed this story, subscribe and share with others who love learning about the unsung heroes of Black History.

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Until next time, I'm Professor Freedom X. Justice, reminding you that success is always within reach no matter the odds.

Episode Transcript

(00:02):
Welcome back to Unfit to be Bound, Black History Unchained on the MBG Podcast
Network, where we uncover the untold stories of Black Americans who defied the odds, broke barriers,
and left a lasting impact on history.
I'm your host, Professor Freedom X Justice, and today we're diving into the

(00:22):
incredible life of a man whose courage and intelligence transformed him from
an enslaved individual to a Civil War hero and eventually a United States congressman.
His name, Robert Smalls. If you've never heard of him, you're not alone.
But by the end of this episode, I promise you'll never forget him.

(00:43):
Robert Smalls was born into slavery on April 5th, 1839 in Beaufort, South Carolina.
Like many enslaved children, his life began in the shadow of oppression and exploitation.
His mother, Lydia Polite, worked in the home of their enslavers,
the McKee family, and Robert often accompanied her.

(01:03):
From a young age, he witnessed firsthand the brutal reality of slavery.
By his mother recognizing the dangers of complacency, made sure Robert understood
the harshness of the world he lived in.
She would take him to the slave quarters and the fields exposing him to the
lives of other enslaved people in hopes that he would never accept his status

(01:25):
as a natural or permanent slave.
Despite these dark beginnings, Robert possessed a sharp mind and an even sharper
sense of determination.
By the time he was a teenager, he had been sent to Charleston to work,
where he took on jobs as a lamplighter, waiter, and a dock worker.
Working at the Charleston Harbor, he gained valuable skills in navigation and

(01:49):
seamanship, an education that would soon become critical in his story.
While Smalls worked, he negotiated with his enslaver to keep a portion of his earnings.
Most enslaved people weren't allowed to do this, but he knew that with enough
money, he could one day buy freedom for himself and his family.
That was his ultimate goal.

(02:11):
It was the outbreak of the Civil War in 1861 that set the stage for Robert Smalls'
daring feat. At the time, he was assigned as a deckhand on the CSS Planter,
a Confederate supply ship.
This ship transported troops, ammunition, and other supplies to Confederate
forts along the South Carolina coast.

(02:33):
Smalls studied everything about the ship, its routes, the Confederate officers
who commanded it, and the signals used to navigate through Confederate-controlled waters.
He knew the risk, but he also knew that he had an opportunity to do something
that could change his life and the lives of countless others.
In the early hours of May 13, 1862, Robert Smalls decided to act.

(02:58):
The Confederate officers had left the ship for the night, trusting their crew to remain obedient.
Smalls seized the moment. He gathered his fellow enslaved crew members and informed
them of his plan. They would steal the planter, sail it past Confederate defenses,
and deliver it into hands of the Union forces.
His crew agreed, putting their lives in Smalls' hands.

(03:21):
As the sun began to rise, Robert Smalls, dressed in the captain's uniform and
wearing a straw hat to disguise himself, guided the planter away.
Out of the Charleston Harbor. He used the Confederate signals to pass multiple
checkpoints, sailing past Fort Sumter, where the first shots of the Civil War
had been fired just a year earlier.

(03:42):
The audacity of the plans was staggering.
If they were caught, execution was a near certainty, but Smalls remained calm,
using his knowledge of Confederate operations to his advantage.
Once the ship was out of Confederate waters and within sight of the Union blockade,
Smalls raised the white flag of surrender.

(04:05):
The Union Navy, shocked to see a Confederate ship approaching under these circumstances,
cautiously approached.
Smalls delivered not only the planter and its valuable cargo of ammunition and
supplies, but he also provided the Union with critical intelligence on Confederate
operations and fortifications.
His daring act not only saved his own life and the lives of his crew,

(04:28):
but also turned the tide in favor of the Union in that region of the war.
For his bravery, Robert Smalls was celebrated as a hero.
He was given a monetary reward and was welcomed into Union circles.
But Smalls, his journey was far from over. He had tasted freedom and now he
wanted to help secure it for others.

(04:50):
After his heroic, Smalls continued to serve the Union cause,
becoming a pilot for the Union Navy and later captain of the very ship he had
commandeered, the Planter.
This made him one of the few African Americans to command a U.S.
Vessel during the Civil War.
But his greatest achievements came after the Civil War.

(05:12):
Smalls had no intentions of fading into the background. Instead.
He entered politics, determined to rebuild the South in a way that would uplift
newly freed African Americans.
In 1868, Smalls became a delegate to the South Carolina Constitutional Convention,
where he advocated for public education and equal rights for black citizens.

(05:33):
His influence in local politics grew, and in 1874, Robert Smalls was elected to the U.S.
House of Representatives as a member of the Republican Party.
He served five terms, using his position to fight for civil rights,
voting rights, and the integration of public transportation.
In Congress, Smalls was an outspoken advocate for Black rights,

(05:55):
pushing for legislation that would protect Black citizens from racial violence
and ensure that their newfound freedom wasn't taken away by discriminatory laws.
His impact was significant, especially during the Reconstruction era when the
future of Black Americans hung in the balance.
Though he faced racism and opposition both in and out of politics,

(06:16):
Smars remained steadfast in his belief that African Americans deserve full participation
in a democracy they had fought to preserve.
As with so many black leaders during Reconstruction, Small's political career
wasn't without its struggles.
After Reconstruction ended and the era of Jim Crow laws began,

(06:37):
Small faced increasing hostility and eventually lost his congressional seat.
Despite this, his commitment to his community never wavered.
He continued to serve as a leader in South Carolina, helping to found schools,
and advocated for land ownership among African Americans.
His home, the very house in which he had once been enslaved,

(07:00):
became a symbol of his incredible journey from bondage to freedom.
One of Robert Small's most famous quotes captured the essence of his life.
My race needs no special defense, but the past history of them in this country
proves them to to be the equal of any people anywhere.
All they need is an equal chance in the battle of life.

(07:22):
Smalls believed that true freedom meant more than the end of slavery.
It meant access to education, political participation, and economic opportunity.
And he dedicated his life to ensuring future generations would have those chances.
Robert Small's legacy is one of immense courage, resilience, and vision.

(07:46):
From a daring act of defiance during the Civil War to a long life commitment to public service,
Small's story reminds us that the fight for freedom and equality is never over,
but that individual acts of bravery can change the course of history.
Thank you for joining me on this episode of Unfit to be Bound.

(08:09):
Black history unchanged on the MBG Podcast Network.
If you found Robert Small's story as inspiring as I did, don't forget to subscribe,
share with a friend, and leave us a review.
Together, we can continue uncovering the hidden gems of black history.
Until next time, I'm Freedom X Justice. Reminding you that our history is unfit to be wound.