now his mother persuaded hun henry mckey suggested this was a way that she was looking out for him. than had he been sent out to work on one of mr. mckey's plantations. and so this was a transformative experience that shaped his adult fortunes. with an 1850 population of almost 43000, charleston was really the big city. in addition to the atmosphere of the city and life in a major

urban area, the other characteristics proved to be equally significant. this city like the state had a black majority. and in 1860, one third of all of the states entire free back population resided in charleston. so the experience of sees large numbers of people who looks like robert smalls must have heightened his aspirations of freedom. he had a highly developed organization al life. with schools societies and organizations for improvement. now domestic service was an important employment sector in charleston. which ensure d that free blacks

and slaves would be employed in free back occupations. free black men were concentrationed in the building trades. in 1888 charleston slaves were involved in at least 88 occupations. they worked as blacksmiths and for the railroad to give you some examples and based on their skills and sometimes their business enterprises, free plaq blacks became property owners. for example, those that owned real estate sometimes rented

their homes and apartments to whites. robert smalls new of some add ver sif relationships. the hires system matters hired their slaves out to other people and slaves were sometimes allowed to hire themselves out seeking out and negotiating for wages even though both of these things were illegal. robert new of this open secret and probably participated in it also. robert smalls had many experiences that were involved with this status as a slave. he belonged to organizations

where methods were discussed there were signs all around and all kinds of literary taerls that slaves had access to. and these interactions again probably further stimulates his passion for late iteracy. there were lack and white people. and others were familiar with stories about the new world slave interaction which gave rise to a new nation controlled by african people.

closer to home, small surely knew about plans to create a church in the city and the dire questions of the familiar. this is where he found his greatest opportunity for employment and education? this was the most cosmo polltatipoll tain part of the city and perhaps interacting with crew members of far away places. smalls would begin as a war hand with load iing and unloading

ships. he learned to rig the sales on ships. during this travel smalls showed his own flare for entrepreneurship and secured trade goods from the places he visited and brought them back to charleston and sold them at a profit. he met hannah annen slaved woman. they married ain 1856 and had an extraordinary arrangement with their owners. the only way they could have afforded this was to hire her time out as a domestic which she

did at the mills house. the final and the most surprising turn of events. robert made arrangements to purchase his wife and children from their owner once they have earned the money. understand what i'm saying here, a slave was making arraignments to purchase other slaves. now, we don't know show this was to be achieved legally. we don't know that. but, hanna's owner agreed to the arrangement and it was a singular arrangement. the fact that robert and hanna

were allowed to do these things says much about their aspirations and much about their owners and also about the place where they lived. the civil war began with the firing on sump ter in 1861. and those shots would usher in the next facphases of the biog y biography. the panel will discuss those faces with you now. i appreciate your attention. [ applause ] >> well moving right along. just amusing before i get into talking about robert smalls and the civil war. very remarkable man. he is going to be able to take advantage of situations.

for him, you could say it is a little bit of luck, it happened to fall into the right place. he is going to be able to expand upon his position within the low country within south carolina and eventually within the nation. he is going to be part of at the start of the civil war of a massive workforce that the confederacy counted onto sustain the new nation the workforce made up of slaves will do everything and in his case pilots of ships. of course the leaders of the confedracy were suspicious of the workforce but could never really trust them. when forces came near, the

workforce would disappear. as mentioned, smalls is a remarkable individual. but he again will find himself in a situation with very special people to help him along his way. during this time on the sea islands when we look back and study what is going on, there are other black leaders who you could argue at least for a moment might rival robert smalls. but smalls will have more flexible and interact with more individuals and will by the end and beel hear about in reconstruction come out as really the leader of the low country and the blacks within south carolina.

beginning in the 1820s, charleston is no longer a major port. boston, philadelphia, new york has taken over the over seas trade. charleston is not that great of a harbor. goods, supplies is shipped up to boston, new york, philadelphia for shipment overseas. it has become more localized and you see more slaves and free blacks being used on the steam ships operating along the coast.

it was said that the term pilot was only reserved for whites. the planter will operate along the coast after the firing on fort sumter. she will be found between jacksonville, florida, up to charleston and going up to geor georgetown. linton off the southern coast to stop the importantation off the coast and the exportations used to buy military goods to europe.

trying to stop any training now. the problem was, to have an effective blockade you have to have staemeamed war ships, you e to have places you need coaling stations. forward to have a stronger blockade. you have to have seizing harbors along the coast line. and on november # 7th, 1861, with 17 vessels, the largest fleet ever organized by the united states up to this time will seize port royal sound.

they will drive away the confederate army and the vast majority of the land owners and the planters within the sea islands. they will come ashore and control 8,000 slaves. though not initially prepared to deal with the slaves, the united states will establish a program designed to recruit into the army the region's former slaves. more individuals are going to be termed the port royal experiment. some of these individuals will play an important role in the

robert smalls story. another important individual will be mansfield french. he will be a key player in the robert smalls story. the 51-year-old french had been among the founders of the experiment. another major player was david hunter. he was in command of the army forces that occupied the sea islands and in march of 1862, he received a directive from the war dreepartment and he found tt a lot of the former slaves weren't that interested and thought that he needed to give them something to fight for.

we do not believe that smalls may have heard of it. both slaves and free blacks are caught between two fires. they worked for the south. still onboard, slaves served as team steers and carried ammunition and supplies.

they were defending the large coast line. they could come in behind these islands, cut off and capture the islands. taking part of the batteries, bringing the goods back to charleston. one of these forfications that is being abandoned is a confederate fort on coles island at the mouth of the river. smalls and planter will be going out there nearly daily bringing

supplies back to charleston from the works on coles island. at the same time because there were federal forces on charleston there were a number escaping in boats going out. smalls carries out his mission on the plan ter. the crew of the general in commands command of charleston turned himself over to the fleet. it made it even tougher because the confederate is watching more closely what is going on. they had reckoned the determination of robert smalls. he is going to make his plan. but on the night of may 12th. while the vessels went ashore

for the night. they went to work. the boiler stoked, the crew, that went along with smalls, not all of the screw did, it could be five to 7 members, slipped the borings to a neighboring wharf daughter and wife and sister and a slave sailor and another lady and a child. while wearing the captain's coat and straw hat he blew the vessel's steam whistle and was allowed to pass. he hoisted a white flag, toll, sheets that his wife had brought along. in the morning mist came

alongside of the vessel onward. the onward was preparing for action. readying the guns and the captain reported that passengers emerged on deck dancing, singing, whistling and some faced fort sumpter and uttered cour curses. some union soul jguided her tow buford. she is brought up alongside of t the wabash. he always called him robert.

said he was always pleasant looking and well dressed. fitting him very well. i asked him a few questions and checked the nair rrative and hed been thinking about it for a week or two. general ripley's house and office are, a steamer was on each side of him and the crew wanted to try it. steam got up at 4:00 they let go and stood down quietly when he came up with the fort he blew the whistles. this was not only cute but intelligent in trying to sneak by. they chosely bonded.

the former slave robert smalls. besides bringing out a valuable steamer. most important was the news that the confederates were eevacuating the mouth of the river. this was important that the british followed during the revolution. he ordered the commander to investigate confirmed what smalls reported and a week after small's escape the union vessels entered the river. the move into the river will result ain an event al attack by u.s. army forces. they will be defeated. the army will evacuate but the navy will keep up a presence

throughout the war. in the meantime, besides the military, actions that are going on, there is going to be this sort of start of reconstruction. i'm not going to go into a great deal of this. but part of this will be taking smalls to the north. to help raise public knowledge. slaves could be part of this military force. smalls is the perfect example of this. dupont was weary of this. he said if you are going to do this, you might as well turn robert over to bartam and let

him put him on display. the frepnch wanted a moral impression. at the same time dupont could not spare him. he also thanks to dupont, smalls and the male members of the vessel coming out will receive prize money. prize money is something that would be taken to a prize court. then the value of the ship,

smalls and the other dupont bro the secretary of the navy suggested that the others make the prize money available to them. he eventually purchased the home of his former master. another key player will arrive in buford at this time. this is going to be general rue fu rufus saxton. he will work closely with fansfield french with others to carry out a rehearsal for reconstruction and the raising of black troops at port royal.

>> they return with a directive to begin raising 5,000 black soldiers in the region's former slaves. the planter was a wood burning vessel. and the navy primarily used coal french was escorting he and his family to new york. dupont was very worried about this. and he wrote this wife, i took

for granted that robert smalls wa wanted to go. but he came to know if he was going to lose this place here as pilot for my vessels. and i came to think you are the most superior negro that i have ever met. i told him you need not go to the north unless you wish it. i told him if you return in a month i would take him on again as a pilot. he said he would again go with mr. french. unless he promised to have him back in three weeks he would not go. robert. you would see how the navy officers have treated you. giving you work and are kind in your feelings. they will always be your friends. the reply was sprtriking.

it is because i know this that i have come to see you today. my best friends are in the navy and aboard the ship. he did return one of dupont's top assistants and ask eed him. has your head been turned. it was turned but one way all the time that i was in the north. toward port royal. he will join the nav al expedition. she looked like a monitor. she was likely armored. she had the lightest draft so her captain directed smalls to

take her as close as possible to fort sumpter. for 30 minutes she was struck 90 times. 119 pound boat crashed into her pilot house. this is where robert smalls would have been. that night thee was in sinking condition. the defeat made smalls dried to think so near to give up the fight. the next day the kiokuk will sink. the loser of the battle will be replaced and smalls will be tra trans ferred over to the army to serve onboard the army's vessels. the