Today in History: Robert Smalls
Today in History–April 5–the Library of Congress features Robert Smalls, a Civil War hero, civil rights activist, and five-term U.S. Congressman who was born into slavery on this date in 1839. Conscripted to the Confederate Army, Smalls captained a small Black crew to hijack an ammunition transport and deliver it to the Union Army in 1862. Learn more about his accomplishments over the years by visiting the Today in History section, then click the links below to gain new insights from primary sources.
The Fifteenth Amendment lithograph
McKee-Smalls House, 511 Prince Street, Beaufort, Beaufort County, SC
Contested election case of Robert Smalls vs. William Elliott
Debate on the Hamburgh massacre July 15-16, 1876
Speech about the Texas Frontier July 8, 1876
Election Methods in the South by Robert Smalls in The North American Review, Volume 151, No.5, November 1890
Speech at South Carolina Constitutional Convention 1895
Robert Smalls, Collector of Customs 1906
Robert Smalls historical newspaper coverage
H.R.6040 – To designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 11 Robert Smalls Parkway Suite C, in Beaufort, South Carolina, as the “Robert Smalls Post Office” 11/18/2021
H.Res.533 – Recognizing and commending the name change of the USS Chancellorsville to the USS Robert Smalls, in honor of the late Representative Robert Smalls, an extraordinary native of Beaufort, South Carolina, and his significant contributions to American history 06/21/2023