Smalls' Run ... May 13, 1862 ... Escape from Slavery is the powerful account of a little-known escape that occurred in Charleston, South Carolina - smack in the heart of the Confederacy, early in the Civil War. Robert Smalls, a young slave harbor pilot, led a crew of slave sailors and their families to freedom by commandeering a confederate transport, loaded with guns and munitions, and running a rebel gauntlet to reach then surrender the boat to the blockading Union flotilla. This act became an early war victory for the Union. Smalls met with President Lincoln, spoke before Congress, received prize money, and was appointed Captain of the commandeered transport, becoming the first black officer in the U.S. Navy. Smalls later served in the South Carolina State legislature, and five terms in the U.S. Congress during Reconstruction. In South Carolina, he introduced legislation creating the first free and compulsory school system and was thereafter in the forefront of the struggle for civil rights. An extraordinary hero and citizen, Smalls died in 1915 and is buried in Beaufort, South Carolina. About the Author: Ric V. Solano, a Chicagoan, was a World War II merchant seaman, newspaper reporter, correspondent, management consultant, academic, and executive assistant to the Chancellor, University of California, San Diego, before becoming a PhD psychotherapist in Albuquerque, New Mexico. His earlier book was Yaqui Woman and the Crystal Cactus, and his next book is Confronting Carlos Castaneda ... and Selected Stories, based on time spent with Castaneda in Baja, Mexico in 1988 Publisher's website: http: //SBPRA.com/RicVSolano

It was a mild May morning in Charleston, South Carolina, in 1862, the second year of the Civil War, when a 23-year-old enslaved man named Robert Smalls boldly seized a Confederate steamer. With his wife and two young children hidden on board, Smalls and a small crew ran a gauntlet of heavily armed fortifications in Charleston Harbour and delivered the valuable vessel and the massive guns it carried to nearby Union forces. Smalls' courageous and ingenious act freed him and his family from slavery and immediately made him a Union hero. It also challenged much of the country's view of what African Americans were willing to do for their freedom. In 'Be Free or Die, ' Cate Lineberry tells the remarkable story of Smalls' escape and his many accomplishments during the war, including becoming the first black captain of an Army vessel

The mist in Charleston Inner Harbor was heavy, but not heavy enough to disguise the stolen Confederate steamship, the Planter, from Confederate soldiers. In the early hours of May 13, 1862, in the midst of the deadly U.S. Civil War, an enslaved man named Robert Smalls was about to carry out a perilous plan of escape. Standing at the helm of the ship, Smalls impersonated the captain as he and his crew passed heavily armed Confederate forts to enter Union territory, where escaped slaves were given shelter. The suspenseful escape of the determined crew is celebrated with beautiful artwork and insightful prose, detailing the true account of an unsung American hero.

Uses excerpts from speeches, letters, articles, and official documents to point out the military and political contributions and the feelings of Afro-Americans during the Civil War.

A political biography of the first African American hero of the Civil War A native of Beaufort, South Carolina, Robert Smalls was born into slavery but—through acts of remarkable courage and determination—became the first African American hero of the Civil War and one of the most influential African American politicians in South Carolina history. In this largely political biography of Smalls's inspirational story, Edward A. Miller, Jr., traces the triumphs and setbacks of the celebrated U.S. congressman and advocate of compulsory, desegregated public education to illustrate how the life and contributions of this singular individual were indicative of the rise and fall of political influence for all African Americans during this rough transitional period in American history.

This encyclopedia explores the many long-standing influences of Africa and people of African descent on the culture of the Americas, while tracing the many ways in which the Americas remain closely interconnected with Africa. Ranging from the 15th century to the present, Africa and the Americas: Culture, Politics, and History explores the many ways Africa and African peoples have shaped the cultural life of the Americas—and how, in turn, life in the Americas reverberates in Africa. This groundbreaking three-volume encyclopedia offers hundreds of alphabetically organized entries on African history, nations, and peoples plus African-influenced aspects of life in the Americas. It also features authoritative introductory essays on history, culture and religion, demography, international relations, economics and trade, and arts and literature. In doing so, it traces the complex and continuous movement of peoples of African descent to the West, the mechanics and lingering effects of colonialism and the slave trade, and the crucial issues of cultural retention and adaptation that are essential to our understanding of the effects of globalization.

***Finalist for the Gilder Lehrman Lincoln Prize*** Henry Louis Gates, Jr: "A stunning tale of a little-known figure in history." Candice Millard: “Be Free or Die makes you want to stand up and cheer.” The astonishing true story of Robert Smalls’ amazing journey from slave to Union hero and ultimately United States Congressman. It was a mild May morning in Charleston, South Carolina, in 1862, the second year of the Civil War, when a twenty-three-year-old slave named Robert Smalls did the unthinkable and boldly seized a Confederate steamer. With his wife and two young children hidden on board, Smalls and a small crew ran a gauntlet of heavily armed fortifications in Charleston Harbor and delivered the valuable vessel and the massive guns it carried to nearby Union forces. To be unsuccessful was a death sentence for all. Smalls’ courageous and ingenious act freed him and his family from slavery and immediately made him a Union hero while simultaneously challenging much of the country’s view of what African Americans were willing to do to gain their freedom. After his escape, Smalls served in numerous naval campaigns off Charleston as a civilian boat pilot and eventually became the first black captain of an Army ship. In a particularly poignant moment Smalls even bought the home that he and his mother had once served in as house slaves. Cate Lineberry's Be Free or Die is a compelling narrative that illuminates Robert Smalls’ amazing journey from slave to Union hero and ultimately United States Congressman. This captivating tale of a valuable figure in American history gives fascinating insight into the country's first efforts to help newly freed slaves while also illustrating the many struggles and achievements of African Americans during the Civil War.