Phillis Wheatley and Robert Smalls may not be a notable name in today’s history, but their stories are remarkable none the less. While Robert Smalls became famous for his bravery and actions, Phillis Wheatley became famous through her written words. Against all odds, these two African-American’s went and did what was called the impossible for people of their race in their times of history.
Phillis Wheatley was brought to Boston, Massachusetts on the ship, The Phillis, in 1761 when she was just seven or eight years old. Phillis was small, frail, nearly naked, and could not speak a word of English when she arrived in America. She was soon purchased by John Wheatley for his wife (D. Hine, W. Hine & Harrold). While there are no records of when or where she was born, it is estimated to be around 1753 in Africa. She was named after the ship that brought her, and her masters gave her their last name, Wheatley.
Unlike Phillis Wheatley, Robert Smalls was born in South Carolina April 5, 1839 to Lydia Polite, a housekeeper slave for John McKee. While his father was unknown, it was widely speculated his father was Henry McKee, John McKee’s son. According to Thomas-Lester (2012) there was a fatherly
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McKee rented out Robert at the age of twelve to work in Charleston. Each week, he was given $1 of his wages; the rest went to the McKee’s. He supplemented his income by purchasing cheap candy and tobacco and reselling them (Thomas-Lester). After working in Charleston for six years, he met and married Hannah Jones, an enslaved hotel worker, who had two children of her own. He also worked his way over to the Charleston Harbor, and began working there on the ship, The Planter. The ship was to transport cotton overseas, but when the Civil War broke out, and the Union blocking Southern borders, the South needed every ship they could get ahold