Yearning to Breathe Free: Robert Smalls of South Carolina and His Families

by Andrew Billingsley

Description

Robert Smalls, son of Lydia Polite, was born 5 April 1839 in Beaufort, South Carolina. He and his mother were slaves of Henry McKee. He married Hannah Jones (1826-1883) in Charleston, South Carolina in 1858.

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1 review

kmcnutt 13 reviews

4.0 out of 5 stars Billingsley does justice to a little known American hero!, September 8, 2008

Robert Smalls (1839 - 1915) is a little known figure outside of South Carolina but he deserves to be known by everyone, especially by those who love great stories.

I stumbled upon the story of Smalls's infamous escape as a slave during the American Civil War (May 1862) by accident. Several years later after thorough ongoing research has rewarded my diligence with finding this book by Billingsley.

The author takes a sociological approach throughout making it for an interesting angle to consider the life and accomplishments of Smalls.

There are several other fine books available about Robert Smalls - mostly out of print - so this edition is show more updated, accurate, fairly comprehensive and a rich source for understanding Smalls.

Well-documented and carefully researched. show less

Mar 30, 2009

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