Freedom and Opportunity

Freedom and Opportunity is a narrative about the remarkable life and times of Robert Smalls. Born a slave in Low Country South Carolina, Smalls managed to plan and orchestrate a daring escape from involuntary servitude aboard a purloined Confederate steamship in May 1862. For the duration of the Civil War, Smalls served the Union military as a pilot and ship Captain. After the Civil War, Smalls became an affluent businessman and community leader. Through rigorous study, the former slave achieved full literacy and developed polished oratorical skills. Smalls eventually entered the world of Reconstruction-era politics, serving in the South Carolina General Assembly and as a five-term U.S. Congressman. Robert Smalls' compelling life is a genuine rag to riches story. His journey from Gullah-born slave to respected statesman is seamlessly interwoven with the complex history of the beginning, propagation, and end of the barbaric institution of slavery in the United States.