In this episode we talk about the life of the Civil War Hero, politician, and education advocate Robert Smalls. We tell the story of his daring escape from slavery during the Civil War, his public service in South Carolina and federal legislatures, and more.

Yearning to Breathe Free - Dr Andrew Billingsly https://www.google.com/books/edition/Yearning_to_Breathe_Free/1RgfEAAAQBAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=%22Lydia+Polite%22&pg=PA11&printsec=frontcover
Sociological book looking at Smalls upbringing and the impact of that on him.

Biographies
-Historic Beaufort Foundation https://historicbeaufort.org/john-mark-verdier-house/robert-smalls-exhibit/
-University of SC https://sc.edu/about/our_history/university_history/presidential_commission/commission_reports/final_report/appendices/appendix-3/smalls-robert/index.php
-American Battlefield Trust https://www.battlefields.org/learn/biographies/robert-smalls
Part about mom showing horrors of slavery, him being in jail in Beaufort, and being sent to work in Charleston. Rear Admiral DuPont quote. Info on Charleston Harbor. Several later in life things noted, too.
Smithsonian Magazine https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/thrilling-tale-how-robert-smalls-heroically-sailed-stolen-confederate-ship-freedom-180963689/-PBS https://www.pbs.org/wnet/african-americans-many-rivers-to-cross/history/which-slave-sailed-himself-to-freedom/#:~:text=In%20fewer%20than%20four%20hours,children)%20from%20slavery%20to%20freedom

- National Parks Service https://www.nps.gov/people/robert-smalls.htm
https://www.nps.gov/places/the-robert-smalls-house.htm Details about the home, past and present.
- newspaper article - City Intelligence - The Steamer Planter - Charleston Daily Courier, May 14, 1862 Notes which wharf the Planter was that night.
https://www.worldmapsonline.com/historic-map-charleston-sc-1872/ Shows the wharfs in Charleston

https://www.ccpl.org/charleston-time-machine/where-did-robert-smalls-live-1862-charleston
interesting research trying to figure out where Robert and Hannah Smalls lived, but only thing I pulled from it was that the planning for the escape happened at Smalls home. Also mentions Dorothy Sterling "research". This also mentions that Robert and Hannah lived in Charleston.

https://www.loc.gov/resource/g3912c.cw0373000/?r=-0.133,0.017,1.312,0.806,0
Charleston Harbor during the Civil War era.

Robert Small's Federal Congress profile https://history.house.gov/People/Detail/21764 https://www.pbs.org/wnet/african-americans-many-rivers-to-cross/history/which-slave-sailed-himself-to-freedom/#:~:text=In%20fewer%20than%20four%20hours,children)%20from%20slavery%20to%20freedom.

Military Information https://www.crf-usa.org/black-history-month/black-troops-in-union-blue https://www.archives.gov/education/lessons/blacks-civil-war
number in military. Among other things
https://iowaculture.gov/history/education/educator-resources/primary-source-sets/african-americans-and-civil-war/militia-act https://www.archives.gov/publications/prologue/2017/winter/summer-of-1862#:~:text=The%20Second%20Confiscation%20Act%20provided,who%20gave%20%E2%80%9Caid%20and%20comfort

Lydia (Smalls) Polite noted as living with his son in 1870. https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M8R7-NBP

Robert Smalls burial memorial on Find a Grave https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/7181274/robert-scott-smalls

Some children and young adult books we recommend:
The Escape of Robert Smalls: A Daring Voyage Out of Slavery By Jehan Jones-Radgowski The Freedom Shop of Robert Smalls By Louise Meriwether Tales of the Talented Tenth - Robert Smalls By Joel Christian Gill