'Freedom on the Sea' is a biography of Robert Smalls – by his great-great-grandson

Summary

Podcast Summary: NPR's Book of the Day

Episode: 'Freedom on the Sea' is a Biography of Robert Smalls – by His Great-Great-Grandson
Date: January 15, 2026
Host: Andrew Limbaugh
Guest: Michael Bulwer Moore (Author, great-great-grandson of Robert Smalls)
Interviewer: Anthony Brooks

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Main Theme & Purpose

This episode centers on the remarkable life of Robert Smalls, born into slavery and later celebrated as a Civil War hero, pioneering politician, and advocate for public education. The conversation features Michael Bulwer Moore, Smalls’ great-great-grandson and author of Freedom on the Sea, discussing Smalls’ daring escape from slavery, his Civil War exploits, his lasting political impact, and the enduring lessons from his life.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

Robert Smalls: A Life Lived to the Fullest (00:02)

• Host Andrew Limbaugh sets the stage, summarizing Smalls' astonishing journey: from enslaved man, to Confederate ship hijacker, Union naval captain, state legislator, education advocate, and U.S. Congressman.

Family Legacy & Early Awareness (02:43)

• Q: When did Moore learn about his connection to Smalls?
• A: The story was “not just part of my physical DNA, but my kind of cultural DNA.”
  • Grew up surrounded by Smalls’ direct descendants, hearing his story at family reunions.
  • “Just hearing about the story, hearing about his exploits in the Civil War... it has always been with me.” (03:04)

The Daring Escape on the Planter (03:32)

• Context: Charleston, South Carolina, 1862—Smalls, still enslaved, pilots the Confederate steamer Planter.
• Key Actions:
  • Smalls observed Confederate officers leaving the ship unsupervised.
  • He planned with other Black crew members to seize the opportunity.
  • On May 12–13, 1862, they navigated through heavily fortified waters, using Smalls’ knowledge of secret passcodes and local waterways to bypass Confederate forts.
• Quote:
  “He concocted a plan and was able to persuade the other African Americans on the crew... and they saw an opportunity and seized it.” (04:51)

Smalls’ Critical Role in the Civil War (05:06)

• After delivering the Planter to Union forces, Smalls became the first African American to command a US military vessel.
• Smalls met with Secretary of War Stanton and President Lincoln.
• Major Influence:
  • Helped persuade Lincoln to enlist formerly enslaved men (about 200,000 joined the Union Army).
  • Moore states, "Some historians suggest that the United States might not prevail in the Civil War without that influx..." (05:53)

From Enslavement to Congress: Political Legacy (06:23)

• Smalls used his reputation as a Civil War hero to enter politics during Reconstruction.
• Served in South Carolina’s legislature and U.S. Congress (five terms).
• Authored legislation to create the first statewide free public school system in the U.S., motivated by his own deprivation of education.
• Notable Insight: During the Civil War, Smalls was perhaps the "highest salaried Black man in America" due to his government pay, a stark contrast to ongoing Black enslavement. (07:44)

End of Reconstruction & Personal Disappointment (07:48)

• Smalls witnessed the backlash against Reconstruction and the advent of Jim Crow laws.
• Emotional Impact: Moore imagines that Smalls was “profoundly disappointed... gutted” by the rollback of civil rights progress.
• Famous Quote from Smalls:
  “‘My race needs no special defense, for the past history of them in this country proves them to be the equal of anyone anywhere. All they need is an equal chance in the battle of life.’” (08:50)

Lessons for Today: Smalls’ Enduring Humanity (09:09)

• Moore recounts a story of Smalls caring for his former enslaver’s wife, inviting her to live in his house after she returned ill post-war.
• Moral Example:
  • Instead of withholding compassion, Smalls treated her with dignity, showing forgiveness over bitterness.
  • Moore draws a lesson for the present:
    “I think if we can just reject all of the partisanship, the politicization of things and focus on those core human aspects that unite us all... there's something to that.” (10:17)

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “Not just my physical DNA, but my kind of cultural DNA...”
  – Michael Bulwer Moore on family legacy (02:51)
• “He concocted a plan and was able to persuade the other African Americans on the crew...”
  – Moore, on Smalls’ leadership during the escape (03:52)
• “The fact that, you know, Robert Smalls may have had a really heavy hand in the United States prevailing in the Civil War, it doesn't get much more impactful than that.”
  – Moore (05:53)
• “My race needs no special defense, for the past history of them in this country proves them to be the equal of anyone anywhere. All they need is an equal chance in the battle of life.”
  – Robert Smalls, recounted by Moore (08:50)
• “If we can just reject all of the partisanship... and focus on those core human aspects that unite us all as Americans, as human beings, I think there's something to that.”
  – Moore (10:29)

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Timed Segment Guide

• 00:02 – Episode/introduction to Robert Smalls’ story.
• 02:43 – Family legacy and Moore’s early exposure to Smalls’ history.
• 03:32 – Detailed recounting of the escape on the Planter.
• 05:06 – Civil War military contributions, meeting with Lincoln, recruitment of Black soldiers.
• 06:23 – Political career, founding of public education, highest-paid Black man in Civil War era.
• 07:48 – Aftermath of Reconstruction, Smalls' reaction to Jim Crow’s rise.
• 08:50 – Smalls' famous speech (equality and opportunity).
• 09:09 – Personal story of compassion, lessons for present-day America.

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Conclusion

This episode offers a concise but rich look into the life of Robert Smalls, emphasizing both his historic achievements and his enduring humanity. Moore’s personal connection brings depth to the narrative, making Smalls’ journey resonate as both a uniquely American story and a timeless call for dignity, resilience, and unity.

Transcript

[A]

Hey, it's NPR's Book of the Day. I'm Andrew Limbaugh. Today's interview is about an enslaved man during the Civil War who escapes. Not only does he escape slavery, but he also steals a Confederate ship. What's wild is that we're not even halfway through his life story. He joins the military, becomes the first African American to command a vessel, becomes a state legislator in South Carolina. He creates the first statewide public school system in the nation, and then gets elected to the House of Representatives. Some people really do live life to the fullest. His story is the subject of a book by his great great grandson Michael Bulwer Moore titled Freedom on the Sea. Up ahead, Moore talks to Here Now's Anthony Brooks about his ancestors wild life story.

[B]

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[C]

Let's take a moment now to tell the story of a true Civil War hero. R.A. robert Smalls was born into slavery in Beaufort, South Carolina. During the Civil War, the still enslaved Smalls was working aboard a steamboat commissioned by the Confederacy called the Planter. On a May evening in 1862, the planter's captain and crew disembarked to go into town. Seeing an opportunity to escape, Small seized control of the ship and sailed into Charleston harbor where he connected with Union soldiers and freedom. After his escape, Smalls helped convince President Lincoln to enlist formerly enslaved men in the army and he eventually served as a member of the US House of Representatives. Robert Smalls remarkable story of his daring escape and all that followed was almost lost to history. But now there are plans to preserve and celebrate it. Next year, a new monument honoring Smalls will be unveiled outside the South Carolina State House. We're joined now by Michael Bulwer Moore. He is the great, great grandson of Robert Smalls and author of the book Freedom on the the True Story of the Civil War Hero Robert Smalls and his daring escape to freedom. And Michael, welcome to here and now. It's great to talk to you.

[D]

Thank you, Anthony. It's great to be here so when.

[C]

Did you become aware of your family's connection to Robert Smalls? Is this a story you grew up with and knew about all your life?

[D]

Yeah, literally it has been a part of not just my sort of physical DNA, but my kind of cultural DNA. I grew up with Robert's granddaughter, who was my grandmother, and her siblings. And so really among my earliest memories are being at family reunions with my grandmother and a number of her siblings and just, just hearing about the story, hearing about his exploits in the Civil War, in the state legislature in South Carolina, in the United States House of Representatives and the like. And so it has always been with me.

[C]

Tell me more about this thrilling and dangerous escape aboard the planter. So this was, if I have this right, this was a heavily fortified part of the low country waterways of coastal South Carolina. And Spols had to sail past Confederate forts before he reached the Union soldiers. Right. How did he pull that off?

[D]

Yeah, Robert was employed, enslaved on this boat, this Confederate boat, the planter. It was 140, 950 foot sidewheel steamer. It was used to ferry men and munitions and the like all around the low country. He became its pilot and so was responsible for sailing the planter in all the various nooks and crannies of that area and knew the various passcodes required to get past the various forts and so just saw an opportunity. He would notice that the Confederate crew on the planter would occasionally leave for the night. They weren't supposed to leave the ship, but on occasion they would leave for the night, going into the city. And he concocted a plan and was able to persuade the other African Americans on the crew of this ship. And on the night of May 12, 1862, heading into the early morning hours of May 13, they saw an opportunity and seized it.

[C]

Wow. So after he gains his freedom and delivers this ship to the Union army, essentially right, he's made captain of the planter, making him the first African American to command a US Military vessel. So what role did he play in the Civil War after his escape?

[D]

Well, I think he played an extremely crucial role in the Civil War. He was taken to Washington. He ultimately met with Secretary of War Stanton and, and President Lincoln. And I think by virtue of his act of seizing this ship and sailing it to freedom, and also, I believe by his sort of just sort of personal persuasion, he was able to convince President Lincoln to admit formerly enslaved men into the war effort, which allowed a about 200,000 men to serve. Some historians suggest that the United States might not prevail in the Civil War without that influx of 200,000 men. So the fact that, you know, Robert Smalls may have had a really heavy hand in the United States prevailing in the Civil War, it doesn't get much more impactful than that.

[C]

No, not at all. That's really something. So after the war, Smalls entered politics. As you mentioned, he served in the South Carolina League legislature and then the US House of Representatives. Talk about the challenges that he must have faced as one of the first black lawmakers during Reconstruction.

[D]

He, I think, took advantage of his acclaim as a Civil War hero and was first elected to the General assembly in Columbia in South Carolina, and then to the state Senate. And while in the legislature here, he wrote the legislation to create the first free statewide public school system in South Carolina, which was the first in the nation. It had vexed him that he wasn't able to learn to read and write, wasn't able to go to school as a youngster. And so he worked to make sure that everyone had access to public education and then went on, was elected to the United States Congress, served five terms there. And he, as mentioned, was the first African American to command a United States naval vessel. Some people say through the period of the Civil War, that because he was getting a salary and obviously 99, I think percent of African Americans were enslaved and not getting a salary. They say that Robert was the highest salaried black man in America during that period.

[C]

Wow. So he went from being enslaved to serving in Congress. He lived long enough to see the end of Reconstruction and the beginning of Jim Crow in South Carolina. And I'm just curious what crosses your mind when you think about all your great, great grandfather built and then had to see sort of that moment in history which wasn't one of the great moments of history.

[B]

Yeah.

[D]

I can only imagine that he was just profoundly disappointed. Doesn't really do it justice, but just sort of gutted. He had worked so hard to create a state and a broader society where all people were considered citizens and had access to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. And Constitutional convention in South Carolina, when all of the pillars of Reconstruction were dissolved. He is noted in that convention with giving probably his most famous speech where he ended it saying, my race needs no special defense, for the past history of them in this country proves them to be the equal of anyone anywhere. All they need is an equal chance in the battle of life.

[C]

Wow.

[D]

And I think that speaks to his resolve.

[C]

You know what? Lessons from his life are still relevant today when you think about your great, great grandfather, Robert Smalls, I think back.

[D]

To one specific incident in his life that was a real that just really demonstrated his sense of character and humanity. After the Civil War, he had gone back and he actually bought the big house, the house that his master and their family had lived in and was living there. But his former master had died. His former master's wife came back to the house. She was mentally and physically ill. She thought she was coming back to her home. And there were a lot of ways that Robert could have dealt with that. This was a person who believed, not that many years ago, that he was a piece of property and akin to a beast of burden and the like. But Robert embraced her and brought her into the home and allowed her to live there for the remaining years of her life. So I think now in a world where similarly, we are very divided, I think if we can just reject all of the partisanship, the politicization of things and focus on those core human aspects that unite us all as Americans, as human beings, I think there's something to that.

[C]

Michael Bulwer Moore is the great, great grandson of Robert Smalls. He's also the author of the book Freedom on the the True Story of the Civil War hero Robert Smalls and His Daring Escape to Freedom. Michael, thank you so much. It's such a pleasure talking to you about your great, great grandfather, Robert Smalls. Thank you.

[D]

Thank you. It's a pleasure.

[A]

And just a reminder that signing up for book of the day plus is a great way to support NPR's book coverage and public media. And you'll get to listen to every episode sponsor free. So please go find out more at plus.NPR.org book of the day.

[D]

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