On May 13, 1862, Robert Smalls took command of a Confederate ship in Charleston Harbor and sailed his family and crew to freedom.
He delivered the ship to the Union Navy, then served as a pilot for the Union. After the war he served five terms in the U.S. House of Representatives from South Carolina.
Key Facts
- Lived: 1839 to 1915
- Freed himself and others aboard the Planter in 1862
- Served in the South Carolina legislature
- Served five terms in Congress
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