Robert Smalls, born in 1839, was enslaved by a local planter in Beaufort, South Carolina. However, by the age of 23, Smalls had achieved notoriety as a freedom advocate and a celebrated war hero. His remarkable journey would later make him a prominent leader during the Reconstruction era, both in the state and national legislature. Smalls’ life serves as a compelling example of the transformative impact of the Reconstruction period in the southern United States.
Early Life in the Lowcountry
Robert Smalls was the son of Lydia Polite and resided in a small slave cabin located behind Henry McKee’s residence at 511 Prince Street in Beaufort, South Carolina. Both Smalls and his mother, Lydia, were enslaved by McKee, with Lydia serving in the house. At the age of 12, Smalls was sent to Charleston to be hired out. He initially worked as a waiter in a hotel and later found employment on the city’s docks. It was during this time that he met Hannah Jones, an enslaved woman, and they entered into a marriage around 1856. Regrettably, their marriage was not legally recognized by the state of South Carolina due to their enslaved status.
The Civil War and Freedom
As the Civil War erupted in 1861, Robert Smalls was serving as an enslaved crewmember on the ship called the Planter, which operated in Charleston Harbor. The ship’s owners had contracted it out to the Confederate army as a transport vessel, and Smalls was working as a pilot aboard the ship. In early 1862, with the Confederacy achieving several battlefield victories, Smalls decided not to wait and took matters into his own hands. He masterminded a daring plan to secure freedom not just for himself but also for his family.
On the night of May 12, 1862, when the white crewmembers of the Planter had gone ashore in Charleston, Smalls and fellow enslaved crewmembers were left unattended. Around 3 am, they initiated the ship’s boilers and sailed to a nearby wharf, where their waiting family members joined them. The group of sixteen enslaved individuals successfully passed Confederate forces at Fort Sumter and Fort Moultrie. Smalls, with his knowledge as a pilot, employed the correct signals and even donned a captain’s hat to conceal his identity as they sailed past unsuspecting rebels. Eventually, Smalls guided the group to the naval blockade squadron, turning over the Planter to the United States Navy. This daring act granted Robert Smalls and his family their long-awaited freedom.
Emerging as a Leader
Beyond delivering the Planter to the United States Navy, Robert Smalls provided crucial intelligence on Confederate activities in Charleston Harbor, leveraging his extensive knowledge of the area’s waters. He served as a pilot on various naval vessels, including the ironclad Keokuk, which was ultimately sunk by enemy fire in April 1863, injuring Smalls in the process. He was later promoted to the rank of captain and given command of the Planter, which underwent overhauls and continued to serve during the Civil War.
During his military career, Smalls made efforts to return to Beaufort whenever possible. In January 1864, he purchased the mansion of his former enslaver, Henry McKee, using prize money from the Planter’s capture. This acquisition occurred during a tax auction of properties owned by white residents who had fled when the city fell into U.S. hands in 1861. Smalls, once an enslaved man, now found himself not only a war hero and national celebrity but also the owner of a plantation owner’s mansion.
Both the military and civilian populations of Beaufort recognized Smalls as a natural leader. His war hero status earned him favor with military authorities in the Lowcountry, while his ties to the thousands of enslaved people, particularly those of Gullah heritage, made him a natural leader during the emerging Reconstruction era. In April 1864, Smalls and his wife Hannah hosted the wedding of Lavinia Wilson, a former enslaved woman who had escaped on the Planter, to a soldier in the 33rd United States Colored Troops, in their newly acquired mansion. The event was attended by military governor General Rufus Saxton and his staff, underscoring Smalls’ high stature in the region.
In 1864, Robert Smalls embarked on his political career. While in Philadelphia, he was arrested for riding in a segregated streetcar. In response, he organized a boycott that ultimately led to the desegregation of Philadelphia’s transit system in 1867. Additionally, in 1864, he served as a delegate to the Republican National Convention, marking the beginning of his long-lasting political journey during the Reconstruction era.
Beaufort During Reconstruction
Shortly after the conclusion of the Civil War, Smalls ventured into business alongside Richard Gleaves, opening a store for Freedmen. He became a staunch advocate for public education, including advocating for himself. In 1868, he served as a delegate to the South Carolina state convention, which crafted a new state constitution. Smalls championed the inclusion of public education as a fundamental aspect of the new constitution. That same year, he was elected to the state House of Representatives and later to the state Senate in 1872. In 1874, as much of the South fell back under white Democratic control, the citizens of Beaufort elected Robert Smalls to represent them in the United States Congress. He went on to serve five terms in the House of Representatives from 1875 to 1887.
Back in Beaufort, Smalls had amassed significant wealth. According to the 1870 Census, when he was just 31 years old, the Smalls family possessed $6,000 worth of personal property and $1,000 worth of real estate, which included the former mansion of his enslaver. He also became a member of the First African Baptist Church in Beaufort, one of several historically Black churches in the city that played a central role in political and social life during Reconstruction. Throughout downtown Beaufort, formerly enslaved individuals acquired and constructed homes, transforming the city into a symbol of the success of Reconstruction policies related to education, political engagement, and land ownership.
Robert Smalls and the Legacy of Reconstruction: When Robert Smalls passed away in February 1915, the southern Democrats had fully regained control of the southern political landscape and implemented stringent segregation measures. The rise of the Lost Cause ideology led to a revisionist history of Reconstruction, diminishing the accomplishments of individuals like Robert Smalls from mainstream narratives. In the 2000s, community members in Beaufort began advocating for the establishment of a national park site to commemorate Smalls and highlight the significance of the Reconstruction era. In January 2017, President Barack Obama issued an executive order establishing the Reconstruction Era National Monument in Beaufort County, recognizing Robert Smalls’ pivotal role in our nation’s history. In 2019, the park was renamed the Reconstruction Era National Historical Park, complete with a visitor center located a short distance from both Robert Smalls’ former residence and his final resting place at Tabernacle Baptist Church in Beaufort.
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