Robert Smalls was born April 5, 1839 in Beaufort, South Carolina. Smalls was an enslaved African American who picked up a job on the sea. He was a ship's captain and sea captain. What most wouldn't expect from Smalls was that he was a politician. He and his crew led friends and families overseas to freedom on the USS Planter. The example he set and his persuasion led to Lincoln allowing African Americans to join the Union Army. Smalls was also elected to South Carolina Legislatures and The United States House of Representatives.