Escaped slave who became lawmaker will be first individual African American honored with statue at South Carolina State House

general • 8/1/2025

Robert Smalls escaped slavery in Charleston by commandeering a Confederate ship and became a top Union naval officer and South Carolina lawmaker.

Black Civil War hero Robert Smalls to be honored with statue at South Carolina State House Inside a small art studio not far from Atlanta, 67-year-old Basil Watson is shaping history. The Jamaican-born artist is creating a sculpture of Robert Smalls,... [1613 chars]