Robert Smalls (April 5, 1839 – February 23, 1915) was an enslaved African American who, during and after the American Civil War, became a ship's pilot, sea captain, and politician. He freed himself, his crew and their families from slavery on May 13, 1862, by commandeering a Confederate transport ship, the CSS Planter, in Charleston harbor, and sailing it to freedom beyond the Federal blockade. His example and persuasion helped convince President Lincoln to accept African-American soldiers into the Union Army.
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| - Robert Smalls (April 5, 1839 – February 23, 1915) was an enslaved African American who, during and after the American Civil War, became a ship's pilot, sea captain, and politician. He freed himself, his crew and their families from slavery on May 13, 1862, by commandeering a Confederate transport ship, the CSS Planter, in Charleston harbor, and sailing it to freedom beyond the Federal blockade. His example and persuasion helped convince President Lincoln to accept African-American soldiers into the Union Army.
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sameAs
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Office
| - Member of the South Carolina House of Representatives
- Member of the South Carolina Senate
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image name
| - Robert Smalls - Brady-Handy.jpg
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dcterms:subject
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dbkwik:military/pr...iPageUsesTemplate
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serviceyears
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term start
| - 1875-03-04(xsd:date)
- 1882-07-19(xsd:date)
- 1884-03-18(xsd:date)
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Birth Date
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Branch
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death place
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Spouse
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Name
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District
| - 5(xsd:integer)
- 7(xsd:integer)
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Dead
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Party
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Birth Place
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Title
| - Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
- from South Carolina's 5th congressional district
- from South Carolina's 7th congressional district
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Term
| - 1868(xsd:integer)
- 1870(xsd:integer)
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term end
| - 1879-03-03(xsd:date)
- 1883-03-03(xsd:date)
- 1887-03-03(xsd:date)
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death date
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Rank
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Allegiance
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Battles
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Successor
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Years
| - 1875(xsd:integer)
- 1882(xsd:integer)
- 1884(xsd:integer)
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State
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abstract
| - Robert Smalls (April 5, 1839 – February 23, 1915) was an enslaved African American who, during and after the American Civil War, became a ship's pilot, sea captain, and politician. He freed himself, his crew and their families from slavery on May 13, 1862, by commandeering a Confederate transport ship, the CSS Planter, in Charleston harbor, and sailing it to freedom beyond the Federal blockade. His example and persuasion helped convince President Lincoln to accept African-American soldiers into the Union Army. He was born in Beaufort, South Carolina. After the American Civil War, he became a politician, elected to the South Carolina State legislature and the United States House of Representatives. As a politician, Smalls authored state legislation providing for South Carolina to have the first free and compulsory public school system in the United States, and founded the Republican Party of South Carolina. He is notable as the last Republican to represent South Carolina's 5th congressional district until 2010.
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