What Makes Robert Smalls A Hero

Robert Smalls, an American politician and Civil War hero, was born on April 5th, 1839, in the town of Beaufort, South Carolina. He was born to a house slave named Lydia Polite during that time. His father is believed to be Henry McKee, who is the son of the plantation owner. On some occasions, Robert frequently ignored his night curfew and went to stay with his white friends, much to his mother’s and father’s disappointment.
As the years passed, when Robert was 12, he was sent to Charleston, South Carolina, to be hired as a laborer on the waterfronts being a rigger. He eventually then became a sailor. He also knew a lot about the Charleston Harbor.
Later, at the age of 17, Robert married Hannah Jones, who was a slave hotel maid that worked in Charleston during that time. She and Robert eventually had a child who they named, Robert Jr., he unfortunately died from smallpox later on. Robert also tried several times to buy himself and Hannah out of slavery, but it didn’t work out for them.
Years passed and now the Civil War is just beginning. From the attack on Fort Sumter, the Union was getting pressured. In March of 1861, Smalls was hired as a deckhand on the Confederate ship, the CSS Planter.

Smalls disguised himself and fooled Confederate onlookers. They were passing Fort Sumter at roughly 4:30 in the morning as the crew was heading towards the Union Navy fleet. Smalls raised up a bed sheet as a surrender flag as they were close to the blockade. The USS Onward first spotted the oncoming ship as they were about to open fire, but one man on the crew spotted the flag and ceased fire on the ship before even shooting. The USS Onwards Captain John Frederick Nickels, boarded onto the Planter as he seen the crew aboard. Smalls asked if a Union Flag could be hanged up to surrender the ship. And so the Confederate ship was surrendered into the Union. Robert Smalls Plan had