The Indispensable Man: Robert Smalls & Reconstruction in the SC Lowcountry

While Robert Smalls is best known for his daring escape from slavery in Charleston harbor, his leadership in the era of post-Civil War…

Presenter: Ron Roth

While Robert Smalls is best known for his daring escape from slavery in Charleston harbor, his leadership in the era of post-Civil War Reconstruction is perhaps his greatest contribution to the advancement of American democracy. This presentation recounts Small’s pivotal role in the struggle to defend and extend African American rights in the tense, sometimes explosive atmosphere of South Carolina Reconstruction.