Robert Smalls Stole a Confederate Ship

Beaufort, South Carolina. How have I never heard of Robert Smalls? I'm betting you haven't either. Smalls was an antebellum slave and real-life action hero who fought without permission in the Civil War and pulled off one of the most daring heists in American military history. Smalls' courage and intelligence single-handedly changed the way Abraham Lincoln viewed the enlistment of black troops in the Union Army. And soon, after his escape to freedom, an initial wave of 5,000 black troops were allowed to enlist.

TIMELINE
1863: When the war ended in Northern Victory, Smalls went back to his former hometown of Beaufort, South Carolina, and purchased his former master's home, which had been seized in 1863.
1895: One statement in particular, from a session of the South Carolina legislature in 1895, feels symbolic of his life as a whole.
1915: In 1915, Smalls died of malaria and diabetes and was buried in Beaufort.

WHY THIS MATTERS
The story of Beaufort is a reminder that the events that shaped America didn't always happen in the biggest cities. What unfolded here left marks on the community that are still visible today. The full story is more complicated, and more human, than the version most people know.

Episode 26 | Hometown History | Hosted by Shane Waters

If you liked this: Episode 181 (Edgefield, South Carolina)

Hometown History explores forgotten stories from small-town America. The overlooked events, hidden triumphs, and buried tragedies that shaped the country we live in. New episodes every Tuesday. Find every episode at mythsandmalice.com/hometown-history

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