South Carolina is erecting its first-ever statue of an African American in honor of a Civil War hero who escaped slavery and became a prominent political figure after pretending to be a confederate soldier.
Robert Smalls was born into slavery in Beaufort, South Carolina, in 1839. He gained notoriety during the Civil War after posing as a confederate soldier to commandeer the Confederate ship CSS Planter. Smalls was victorious in leading his family and others aboard the ship to freedom.
