On May 13, 1862, 23-year-old Robert Smalls became an American Civil War hero. He did something remarkable for an enslaved Black man. Smalls took a steamer ship from Charleston Harbor, South Carolina, right from under the noses of Confederate troops. Then, he fled the South with his wife, their two young children, and 12 other Black freedom seekers. Under the cover of night, he quietly guided the steamer through war-zone waters. He hoped to get to the open sea, and from there, to freedom…or he would die trying.
Smalls was born in 1839 in South Carolina. When he was 12, his enslaver hired him out as a laborer on the Charleston docks, where he learned to pilot a ship. In 1861, war broke out, and Smalls was forced to work on the Planter. This vessel ferried munitions to Confederate forts and outposts. His seafaring skills were so commanding that the captain permitted him to pilot the ship.
Shortly before the war, Smalls got married and fathered two children. However, he was terrified that his family might be sold and separated from him. Then, when war broke out, the Confederacy won several pivotal early battles. Smalls feared that the North would fail to liberate enslaved people. These developments left him no alternative—he had to escape. So, he began devising his exit strategy.
Two factors figured into his escape plans: In early May 1862, the U.S. Navy tightened its blockade on Charleston Harbor, which was fortunate for freedom seekers. If they could reach the U.S. fleet 10 miles out, they would be offered safe haven. The other factor was the captain's habit of going ashore for the night with the White crewmen of the Planter to be with their families. They did exactly that on the night of May 12, leaving Smalls unattended.
Sometime before 3 a.m., Smalls sprang into action. He ordered the Black crewmen to fire up the boiler and then glided the Planter away in plain sight of Confederate headquarters. A few minutes later, he stopped at a wharf to board his wife and children and the families of the crewmen, and off they sailed into the night. The trick now was to get past the sentries at several heavily armed Confederate forts guarding the harbor without arousing suspicion.
To accomplish this, Smalls drew on his nautical expertise to lend authenticity to the unscheduled departure. He blew the ship's whistle at appropriate checkpoints and flashed all the correct coded signals as the ship left the harbor. To complete the appearance of a routine operation, Smalls wore the captain's straw hat. He also imitated the way he folded his arms. By the time the Confederates caught wise, the Planter was nearing the U.S. fleet. Once there, Smalls turned the Planter over to the fleet as his crew and passengers celebrated their newfound freedom.
For the rest of the war, Smalls served with distinction in the U.S. Navy, becoming its first Black pilot. After the war, he had a distinguished career as a five-term U.S. Representative in Congress. His name lives on not only in history but also in a place of honor—the bow of the warship USS Robert Smalls.
Read this passage from the article:
Smalls feared that the North would fail to liberate enslaved people. These developments left him no alternative—he had to escape.
In this passage, the word liberate means __________.
A. to reject
B. to forget about
C. to work for
D. to set free
3 answers
For the rest of the war, Smalls served with distinction in the U.S. Navy, becoming its first Black pilot. After the war, he had a distinguished career as a five-term U.S. Representative in Congress. His name lives on not only in history but also in a place of honor—the bow of the warship USS Robert Smalls.
The author's purpose for writing this passage was to __________.
A. illustrate Robert Smalls's commitment to service
B. inform readers about Congressional terms
C. demonstrate Robert Smalls's skills as a navy pilot
D. educate readers about careers in the U.S. Navy
5 answers