02/09/2026
As we're celebrating Black History Month, it's wonderful to see so many people and organizations recognizing the incredible historical figures that have made an indelible mark for progress and change.
One of our personal heros is well-known in South Carolina, but deserves to be recognized and celebrated everywhere else!
Robert Smalls (1839–1915) was born into slavery in Beaufort, South Carolina. During the American Civil War, Smalls commandeered a Confederate transport ship in Charleston Harbor and sailed it from the Confederate-controlled waters of the harbor through the U.S. blockade that surrounded it. He then piloted the ship to the Union-controlled enclave in the Beaufort area, where it became a Union warship. In the process, he freed himself, his crew, and their families. His example and persuasion helped convince President Abraham Lincoln to accept African-American soldiers into the Union Army.
After the Civil War:
- Smalls returned to Beaufort and became a politician, serving in the SC Legislature and the US House of Representatives
- He authored state legislation to have the first free and compulsory public school system in the United States
- He purchased his former enslaver's house and brought his mother to live there for the remainder of her life
- He later allowed his former enslaver's wife to move in with them
Roberts Smalls is the personification of bravery, cunning, chutzpah, grace, and dignity. Plus stealing a ship from the enemy and sailing to freedom is AMAZING.
We've added a BBC link below, if you'd like to learn more about this awe-inspiring gentleman! There's also a link to another entertaining retelling of his story!
