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Robert Smalls Facts & Worksheets

Robert Smalls was an American politician, publisher, merchant, and maritime pilot. He was born into slavery in Beaufort, South Carolina. During the American Civil War, he liberated himself, his crew, and their families by taking control of a Confederate transport ship, CSS Planter.

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Robert Smalls was an American politician, publisher, merchant, and maritime pilot. He was born into slavery in Beaufort, South Carolina. During the American Civil War, he liberated himself, his crew, and their families by taking control of a Confederate transport ship, CSS Planter, in Charleston Harbor on May 13, 1862.

See the fact file below for more information about Robert Smalls, or you can download our 23-page Robert Smalls worksheet pack to utilize within the classroom or home environment.

Key Facts & Information

EARLY LIFE

  • Robert Smalls was born in Beaufort, South Carolina, in 1839 to an enslaved woman named Lydia, who was enslaved by a wealthy planter named Henry McKee. 
  • At approximately twelve years old, Robert was sent by Mr. McKee to work and reside in Charleston, where he had several jobs for ten years. 
  • Like other enslaved individuals who were “hired out” to work outside their legal enslavers’ homes, Smalls gave most of his earnings to Henry McKee. Smalls acquired experience in the mid-1850s working as a hostler, dock worker, and rigger, which were seasonal positions during the busiest months at the port.
  • When he was seventeen, Smalls wed Hannah Jones, a hotel maid enslaved, in Charleston on December 24, 1856.
  • Hannah was five years older than Smalls and already had two daughters. Their first child, Elizabeth Lydia Smalls, was born in February 1858. Three years later, they had a son named Robert Jr., who passed away at the age of two. 
  • The couple intended to “buy their freedom” by paying the full sum of $800. Unfortunately, they did not have enough money to buy their freedom. 

DURING THE CIVIL WAR

  • The American Civil War commenced in April 1861 with the Battle of Fort Sumter in Charleston Harbor. In 1861, Smalls became a crew member on the CSS Planter, a commercial steamboat employed by the early Confederate government to assist in defense operations in the region.
  • The Planter’s responsibilities included surveying waterways, laying mines, and transporting dispatches, troops, and supplies. Smalls navigated the Planter in Charleston port, local rivers, and around South Carolina, Georgia, and Florida beaches.
  • Smalls seemed satisfied and trusted the Planter’s crew and owners, but in April 1862, he started to devise an escape.
  • In May 1862, Smalls and other enslaved crew members gathered at his residence to devise a plot to seize the Planter from Charleston’s harbor and sail it out to the United States Navy ships blockading the port entrance.
  • Smalls initiated his strategy on the evening of May 12, 1862. He navigated the Planter past Fort Johnson, Fort Sumter, and Fort Moultrie before daylight on May 13, 1862. 
  • Three white officers left the ship to spend the night on land while Smalls and the crew remained on board, as usual. Before leaving, Smalls requested permission from Captain Relyea for the crew’s families to visit, a request that was sometimes granted.
  • Captain Relyea agreed on the condition that they leave before curfew. Upon the families’ arrival, the men disclosed the plan to them.
  • Three crew members deceived the family by pretending to lead them home, but instead, they circled and concealed themselves on another steamboat docked at the North Atlantic quay.
  • On May 13, Smalls and seven out of the eight enslaved crew members successfully executed their prearranged escape to the Union blockade ships. Smalls donned the captain’s outfit and sported a straw hat resembling the captain’s. 
  • He navigated the Planter beyond the area known as Southern Wharf and docked at another wharf to collect his wife, children, and the families of other crew members.
  • Smalls navigated the ship smoothly through the five Confederate harbor forts using the appropriate steam whistle signals at checkpoints.
  • Captain John Frederick Nickels transmitted the Planter and a description of Smalls’s activities to his commander, Captain Enoch Greenleafe Parrott. Planter also transported four unattached artillery pieces from Coles Island along with 200 pounds of ammunition and its light guns. The most precious items were the captain’s code book with Confederate signals and a diagram of the mines and torpedoes in Charleston’s harbor. 
  • Small’s profound understanding of the waterways and military layouts in the Charleston region was extremely beneficial. Parrott once more sent the Planter to flag commander Samuel Francis Du Pont at Port Royal, characterizing Smalls as highly intelligent. Smalls provided Du Pont, the commander of the blockading fleet, with thorough intelligence regarding Charleston’s defenses.
  • Federal officers were astonished to discover from Smalls that, in contrast to their estimations, only a few troops were left to defend the region, as the majority had been deployed to Tennessee and Virginia. They discovered that the Coles Island defenses on Charleston’s southern side were deserted and left unguarded.
  • Because of this intelligence, Union forces were able to seize Coles Island just one week after Robert’s escape.

AS AN EMERGING LEADER

  • Smalls not only handed over the Planter to the United States Navy but also offered important information about Confederate activities in Charleston Harbor. This included the Keokuk, an armored ship that was sunk by enemy fire in April 1863, causing injuries to Smalls.
  • He was later promoted to the rank of captain and assigned as the commander of the Planter. In 1864, Smalls brought the Planter, which was used during the Civil War, to Philadelphia for maintenance and upgrades.
  • During his military tenure, Smalls endeavored to return to Beaufort whenever possible. In January 1864, he bought McKee’s mansion with the reward money he received from capturing the Planter, the ship that had previously enslaved him. 
  • He did this at a tax auction of properties owned by white citizens who had left when the city came under the United States’ control in 1861. Unexpectedly, this once-enslaved individual became a war hero and gained national fame and ownership of a plantation owner’s grand house.  
  • The military and civilian communities in Beaufort saw Smalls as a natural leader. His reputation as a battle hero and his relationships with the enslaved population, particularly those of Gullah descent, positioned him as a prominent figure throughout the Reconstruction era. 
  • In 1864, Smalls started his political career. While in Philadelphia, he was arrested for using a segregated streetcar. He orchestrated a boycott that resulted in the integration of Philadelphia’s transit system in 1867. In 1864, Smalls became a delegate to the Republican National Convention, beginning his lengthy political career during the Reconstruction era.

DURING THE RECONSTRUCTION PERIOD

  • Following the conclusion of the Civil War, Smalls partnered with Richard Gleaves to establish a store catering to Freedmen. Smalls championed public education, advocating for himself as well. In 1868, he was a delegate to the South Carolina state convention responsible for drafting a new state constitution.
  • Smalls advocated for public education as a crucial element of the new document. In the same year, he was elected to the state House of Representatives and then to the state Senate in 1872. 
  • In 1874, amidst the South’s shift back to white Democratic rule, the people of Beaufort chose Robert Smalls to represent them in the United States Congress. He ultimately held five terms in the House of Representatives from 1875 to 1887. 
  • Upon returning to Beaufort, Smalls accumulated a significant fortune. As per the 1870 Census, the Smalls family possessed $6,000 in personal property and $1,000 in real estate, which was the value of the mansion owned by his previous enslaver. 
  • He was a member of First African Baptist Church in Beaufort, one of the city’s historically Black churches that played a central role in political and social life during Reconstruction.
  • Formerly enslaved individuals in downtown Beaufort bought and constructed homes, turning the city into a representation of the effectiveness of Reconstruction programs on education, political involvement, and land possession. 
  • Former United States President Barack Obama signed an executive order in January 2017 to establish the Reconstruction Era National Monument in Beaufort County, emphasizing the importance of Robert Smalls in our nation’s history. 
  • In 2019, the park was designated Reconstruction Era National Historical Park. The visitor center is a short distance from Robert Smalls’s residence and burial site at Tabernacle Baptist Church in Beaufort. 

Robert Smalls Worksheets

This fantastic bundle includes everything you need to know about Robert Smalls across 23 in-depth pages. These ready-to-use worksheets are perfect for teaching kids about Robert Smalls. He was born into slavery in Beaufort, South Carolina. During the American Civil War, he liberated himself, his crew, and their families by taking control of a Confederate transport ship, CSS Planter, in Charleston Harbor on May 13, 1862.

Complete List of Included Worksheets

Below is a list of all the worksheets included in this document.

  1. Robert Smalls Facts
  2. Life Story
  3. Vocabulary
  4. My Journey
  5. Smalls
  6. Equality
  7. Making Connections
  8. Infographic
  9. What do you think?
  10. Poll Survey
  11. My Advocacy

Frequently Asked Questions

Who was Robert Smalls?

Robert Smalls was an African American born into slavery in 1839 in Beaufort, South Carolina, who later became a prominent figure during the American Civil War and Reconstruction era.

What was Robert Smalls known for?

Robert Smalls was known for his daring escape from slavery by commandeering a Confederate transport ship, the CSS Planter, in Charleston Harbor in 1862. He later became a Union hero for delivering the ship to Union forces, along with valuable intelligence, weaponry, and 17 fellow slaves seeking freedom.

How did Robert Smalls contribute to the Union during the Civil War?

Smalls’ contribution to the Union during the Civil War was significant. After his daring escape, he became a Union naval pilot and served as a symbol of African American bravery and patriotism. He participated in numerous naval engagements and later became one of the first African Americans to serve in the United States Congress during Reconstruction.

What were some of Robert Smalls’ post-war accomplishments?

After the Civil War, Robert Smalls continued to be actively involved in politics and advocacy for civil rights. He served as a member of the South Carolina State Legislature and later as a U.S. Congressman. He advocated for voting rights, education, and economic opportunities for African Americans.

How is Robert Smalls remembered today?

Robert Smalls is remembered as a hero of the Civil War, a pioneer in civil rights, and a symbol of resilience and courage. His story is celebrated in history books, museums, and monuments, and he is revered as an inspiration for his bravery, leadership, and commitment to justice. His legacy continues to inspire people fighting for equality and freedom.

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Use With Any Curriculum

These worksheets have been specifically designed for use with any international curriculum. You can use these worksheets as-is, or edit them using Google Slides to make them more specific to your own student ability levels and curriculum standards.

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