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The Life of Robert SmallsLoading...
By Neel RikhyLoading...
Early Life
Robert Smalls was born behind a cabin as a slave in 1839. He was able to make money because of his "owner", who allowed him to work on the weekend and keep a portion of his salary. When he was 12 his mom wanted him to work at the harbor. This was the beginning of his "career" at the sea. The slave owner set his freedom "ransom" at $800, but he only had $100 and he was already working for so long. He knew it would take decades for him to legally buy his freedom, and who knows what the owner would do during this time? So this got Smalls to think of a different way out of slavery...
Early Life
Robert Smalls was born behind a cabin as a slave in 1839. He was able to make money because of his "owner", who allowed him to work on the weekend and keep a portion of his salary. When he was 12 his mom wanted him to work at the harbor. This was the beginning of his "career" at the sea. The slave owner set his freedom "ransom" at $800, but he only had $100 and he was already working for so long. He knew it would take decades for him to legally buy his freedom, and who knows what the owner would do during this time? So this got Smalls to think of a different way out of slavery...
Leading up to the escape
He was married to Hannah Jones at 17. He also had 2 daughters and a son. more than 150,000 slaves passed through Charleston at the time. He enrolled in the Confederate army during the Civil War, which actually fought for slavery. The ship carried cotton and various goods often harvested by slaves. One day he must’ve seen that he could’ve escaped so he thought of a plan to escape. He also noticed that during the night the enslaved crew was alone while the captain and other white crew members were sleeping at their homes.
Leading up to the escape
He was married to Hannah Jones at 17. He also had 2 daughters and a son. more than 150,000 slaves passed through Charleston at the time. He enrolled in the Confederate army during the Civil War, which actually fought for slavery. The ship carried cotton and various goods often harvested by slaves. One day he must’ve seen that he could’ve escaped so he thought of a plan to escape. He also noticed that during the night the enslaved crew was alone while the captain and other white crew members were sleeping at their homes.
The Great Escape
So on the early morning of May 13, 1862, he ordered the ship to leave. He knew the risks but he still wanted to because being caught would mean he could be executed. He went around saving families and friends and bringing them on the boat. He used the signals and whistles he memorized from his time on the ship to avoid the risk of getting detected by the forts along the way. He used the captain's stand and hat to get to the north with a bedsheet instead of a white flag. 16 people were freed on board because of him. The northern papers called him a hero, however, the southern newspapers were confused and upset at how he was able to escape.
