Robert Smalls’ life is a testament to the indomitable human spirit and the relentless pursuit of freedom and justice. Born into slavery on April 5, 1839, in Beaufort, South Carolina, Smalls’ early life was marked by the brutal realities of slavery. His mother, Lydia Polite, a slave owned by Henry McKee, ensured that young Smalls was exposed to the harshness of plantation life, witnessing the suffering of field hands under the whip.
The most remarkable chapter of Smalls’ life began on the night of May 12, 1862. In an audacious act of bravery, Smalls, then an enslaved crew member of the Confederate ship Planter, seized a unique opportunity. With the white crew members ashore, Smalls and his fellow enslaved crew members commandeered the vessel. Disguising himself as the captain and skillfully using his knowledge as a pilot, Smalls navigated the ship past Confederate defenses, including Fort Sumter, and surrendered it to the Union Navy, securing freedom for himself and the 15 other enslaved individuals on board.