Table of Contents
What side was Robert Smalls on?
Robert Smalls was an enslaved African American who escaped to freedom in a Confederate supply ship and eventually became a sea captain for the Union Navy. After the war, he became a successful businessman and politician serving in both houses of the South Carolina legislature.
Did Robert Smalls fight for the North?
In the North, Smalls was feted as a hero and personally lobbied the Secretary of War Edwin Stanton to begin enlisting black soldiers. After President Lincoln acted a few months later, Smalls was said to have recruited 5,000 soldiers by himself.
What did Robert Smalls convince Abraham Lincoln?
He sat at the conference table next to Frederick Douglass as they tried to convince President Abraham Lincoln that African Americans should be allowed to fight for their own freedom. He served five terms in Congress.
Why is Robert Smalls a hero in the Civil War?
At the beginning of the Civil War, Smalls worked as a pilot aboard the CSS Planter, a steamboat chartered by the Confederate government. Through his daring act, Smalls secured the freedom of everyone on board and instantly became a Union war hero.
What were the legislative goals of Robert Smalls?
Smalls authored state legislation providing for South Carolina to have the first free and compulsory public school system in the United States. He founded the Republican Party of South Carolina.
Which event essentially ended the era of reconstruction?
The Compromise of 1877 was an informal agreement between southern Democrats and allies of the Republican Rutherford Hayes to settle the result of the 1876 presidential election and marked the end of the Reconstruction era.
What battles did Robert Smalls fight in?
| Robert Smalls | |
|---|---|
| Branch/service | United States Navy United States Army |
| Years of service | 1862–1868 |
| Rank | None (civilian pilot and armed transport captain) |
| Battles/wars | Blockade of Charleston 17 battles including Battle of Simmon’s Bluff Second Battle of Pocotaligo Second Battle of Fort Sumter Sherman’s March to the Sea |