Robert Smalls

ROBERT SMALLS
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Course
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Robert Smalls
Billingsley, Andrew. Yearning to Breathe Free: Robert Smalls of South Carolina and His Families. University of South Carolina Press, 2007.
This book contains the historical life of Robert Smalls that is synonymous with bravery, cunning and deception personality. For instance, in the midst of the American Civil War, Robert who was 22 years at the time captured a ship that had rounds of weapons like Howitzer guns. This incident shocked everyone and after that Robert Smalls became a legendary figure in the slave resistance movement. Contrarily, this book also projects the chronological life of Smalls. He was born in South Carolina in a small town called Beaufort in the year 1839.
Besides, Lydia his mother was a slave in the house of a slave owner named Henry McKee who was also purported to be Robert`s biological dad. In comparison to other slaves, their lifestyle was less adverse about the conditions subjected by other slaves. Even though they were exempted from heavy tasks her mother ensured that Robert visited the field so that he could experience the inhumanity, and savagery influenced by enslavement. This firsthand experience enabled Robert to ignite the spirit of rebellion and defiance that would influence him to plan an epic escape to freedom.
Bio. Robert Smalls Politician (1839-1915). Last Modified in 2016.Retrieved from.http://www.biography.com/people/robert-smalls-9486288#synopsis
This book highlights the biography of Smalls since birth.

Consequently, when he was 12 years old, he was shipped to Charleston town. This was a harbor town on the beach of South Carolina`s coast. This migration influenced his passion for the ocean that also drew him closer to the docks. He earned the status of being a worthy seafarer and stevedore and often regarded as a white man`s notwithstanding. This career made him to slowly earn the trust of the individuals who held him as their slave. Smalls ended up marrying a slave hotel maid called Hannah Jones, and they had two children together both a boy and girl. The boy who was named Robert Jr. later was infected by smallpox and he ended up dying.
Furthermore, Smalls had tried his best to buy the freedom of his entire family from slavery, but it failed. In 1861, due to his experience as a sailor, Smalls was employed in the Confederate Ship as a deckhand person at the beginning of the war. This ship was used in carrying supplies between various forts in Charleston Harbor. In this practice, Smalls was able to gain ship navigation experience, and he started planning his escape plan. In 1862, Smalls organized his escape plan, and he mobilized his family and a crew of eight men to occupy the Confederate supply ship quietly. They captured the ship and navigated it away from Charleston Harbor. For almost five hours, Smalls had successfully passed five checkpoints without begin noticed. He often gave correct signal to other close ship as he navigated towards the open waters and far into the Union blockade.
Kennedy, Robert Francis, and Patrick Faricy. 2008. Robert Smalls: the boat thief.
This book focuses more on Robert`s mission as military personnel. For example, his escape was recorded has one of the dangerous and daring escape mission a slave has ever pulled. This was because the Union crew had permission to blow up any vessel posing a potential threat to the citizen and also the war actively in progress. The USS Onwards crew was the first ship to spot Robert`s ship, and they almost fired on it. However, Smalls had raised a white bed sheet to signal that they had surrendered. The ship had ammunition, guns and relevant documents that were useful as intelligence during the war and Robert and his crews were left free.
Contrarily, the document apprehended contained shipping routes, ships departure time and my locations. The Robert`s daring and courageous escape hit the national headlines, and this influenced President Abraham Lincoln to consider hiring African America to fight for the Union military. Additionally, the Congress offered Robert a prize of 15000 dollars prize. Smalls immediately conducted speaking tours using his heroic escape as the reference in the quest of recruiting more African American into the Union Army. In the entire war season, Smalls managed to balance his role as the Union Nary Captain and his duties as a spokesperson in the Union army. He managed to participate in 17 mission were carried out around Charleston area.
Schumann Robert. Robert Smalls. Last modified in 2016. Retrieved from. http://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/Robert_Smalls
This website source contains the political journey of Robert Small after the war. For example, after the Civil War, Smalls was promoted to a brigadier general in the militia based in South Carolina. He also managed to buy his previous slave master’s house that was located in Beaufort. He started school for the African American kids and also opened a general store where he could also sell newspapers. These activities made him popular within the society, and he became a politician serving first as a delegate to the constitutional convention before being elected to the House of Representative and later to the State Senate.
Additionally, his political affiliation was in the Republican Party that had ideologies that are similar to current Democratic Party. In 1877, when serving in the State Senate position, he was faced with a 5000 bribe accusation that made him serve a three-year prison sentence. He was released while awaiting his appeal case and in 1877 he was pardoned by the state governor. In 1883, his wife Lydia died, living him with his daughter Sarah. In 1891, he married a teacher named Elizabeth Wigg, and they had a son called William Robert.
Uya, Okon Edet. From slavery to public service: Robert Smalls, 1839-1915. Oxford University Press, 1971.
This book contains the achievement of Robert Smalls as a right civil activist. According to the book, it can be noted that Smalls dedicated his entire life towards freedom and the successful recognition of race equality through the allowing of civil rights for every person. During his era, he was a known heroic figure among the slaves. He projected an image of bravery in the midst of seeking the greater freedom for his family and his followers. Even though he did not oversee the actual attainment of civil right for his fellow African-American colleges but he managed to pass his torch to other leaders like Martin Luther King Jr. who influenced the actual attainment of civil rights.
In his role as a State Senator, his own constitute was popular in the execution of Jim Crow laws that were based on advancing segregation agenda. However, in his position, he tried his best to push disenfranchisement effort to his state, and this caused him to be falsely charged with a corruption crime. He tried to push a bill that would allow Africa America to enjoy public services like transportation even though the bill was terminated in the Congress. If this bill was successful passed then the incidence of Rosa Park could have been avoided. He also condemned the launching African Americans. This was behavior that was started in the late 19 century. These actions led to the establishment of more organized civil right movement group such as the NAACP and Urban League who back him up in condemn the inhuman act being done to fellow African American individuals.
In conclusion, Smalls dedicated his entire life towards freedom and the successful achievement of race equality through offering civil rights for every person. Additionally, Robert`s daring and courageous escape hit the national headlines, and this influenced President Abraham Lincoln to consider hiring African America to fight for the Union military. Therefore, Robert contributed to black people being involved in military activity in the United States.
Bibliography
Bio. Robert Smalls Politician (1839-1915). Last Modified in 2016.Retrieved from.http://www.biography.com/people/robert-smalls-9486288#synopsis
Billingsley, Andrew. Yearning to Breathe Free: Robert Smalls of South Carolina and His Families. University of South Carolina Press, 2007.
Kennedy, Robert Francis, and Patrick Faricy. 2008. Robert Smalls: the boat thief.
Schumann Robert. Robert Smalls. Last modified in 2016. Retrieved from. http://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/Robert_Smalls
Uya, Okon Edet. From slavery to public service: Robert Smalls, 1839-1915. Oxford University Press, 1971.