Roberts Smalls: An Exceptional Leader

How would you respond to someone trying to take your job away from you because of your skin color? Would you just stand by and let it happen or would you fight with everything you have in you to keep your job. This describes the situation that Roberts Smalls had to endured. Roberts Smalls was an African American Politician. Roberts Small was a exceptional leader that proved that with determination, you can achieve anything you put your mind to. Many difficult situation were thrown left and right at him and despite everything thrown at him he overcame slavery, racism, and being deprived of his human rights.

Roberts Smalls was born a slave in Beaufort, South Carolina on April 5, 1839 to Robert and Lydia Smalls. Robert had a relativity easy life for a slave up until he was ten. His mother Lydia wanted her son to experience first hand some of the challenges of slavery, because for the first ten years of Robert life he had the chance to explore the town with his master Henry McKee and he was able to play with both black and white kids in the neighborhood unlike like many other slave kids. Many other slaves children would have to work sun up to sun down picking crops. Robert went from sleeping on a cot,wearing nice cloths, and playing with the neighborhood kids to sleeping on the

floor, wearing raggedy and picking cotton, tobacco and rice all day. This was not the only change he experienced, his mother also wanted to show he what happened to slaves when they broke the rules.
With this experience Robert decided that he would not stand for the laws placed on slaves. He decided that he would that he would not follow the rules, and because of this decision he was often put in jail at the Beaufort jail. Due to being in jail multiple times he mother became concerned with his safely so sent asked her master if it was okay for Robert to go to Charleston to be rented out. In Charleston he worked as in as a waiter, light lighter, on the water font and on a ship called The Planter. The Planter was a small cargo ship. Most of the money made was sent to his master Henry McKee, Robert was only able to keep a small portion of the money he made. Robert took many other jobs to make up for the money that he had to sent to his master.
At the age 19 Robert met Hannah Jones and they fell in love and were married. During their marriage they had two kids by the name of Elizabeth Lydia and Robert Small Jr. Robert observed that other white couples lived in the same house and he wanted the same. Robert got permission from his master Henry and permission form Hannah master the Kingsman. Together they moved into a small apartment with their two kids however, Robert was not happy about this situation. Robert felt that he did not complete freedom because Hannah master could come take her and his kids away from him and he could do nothing. He decided he would try to buy his wife freedom. Hannah masters agreed to sell her and his kids for 800 dollars. At the time Robert only had about a 100 dollars, he decided that he would think of another way to free his family.
His plan went into action on May 13, 1862.

During this time the Civil War has started and the Confederates called Plantar into to action. Before the Civil War, Robert and three other slaves acquired the skills to pilot the ship by themselves. This is where Robert plan came into action. The Union Navy could be seen from Charleston Harbor. Later that day when the white crew member went ashore, Robert and the other slaves got their families on the Planter and began their journey to freedom. All they had to do was seen pass five Confederates gun ships without rising suspicion. Robert then sailed into the territory of the Union Navy and surrender The Planters and they ere

freed.