Question: What daring escape did the slave Robert smalls attempt on May 13 1862?
Answer: During the American Civil War, Robert Smalls freed himself, his crew and their families from slavery by commandeering a Confederate transport ship and navigating past four Confederate checkpoints.
Explanation: Robert Smalls was a slave who served the Confederacy aboard a warship. For less than a year, he carefully observed the movements of the ship and crew. Thanks to this, on May 13th, 1862, he escaped with his fellow slave crewmen (along with their family members), and together they began a very dangerous journey. Smalls had to navigate a ship past four Confederate checkpoints. They successfully did this and were free at last. His example and bravery convinced Abraham Lincoln to accept African-American soldiers into the Navy and Union Army. After the American Civil War, he returned to his home state to become a politician. He won the election as a Republican to the South Carolina State legislature and the United States House of Representatives during the Reconstruction era. He is a very important person in history because he escaped slavery along with his crew men and their families, became a ship's pilot, a sea captain, and a politician.
