Small's Early Life
Smalls was born on April 5th, 1839 in the McKee family slave quarters. His mother, Lydia, was born a slave on Ashdale Plantation, and brought to McKee's home as a house servant to take care of his five children, Robert's birth father is unknown. However, it is rumored to have been John McKee himself. Robert was raised in the McKee house on Prince Street and was well liked by John and the rest of the McKee family. Because Robert Smalls wanted to free his wife and children from slavery, Smalls came up with an elaborate plan to lead a group of slaves and his family to freedom on May 13th, 1863. Smalls left a legacy of freedom for his fellow slaves, by sailing to freedom, and continuing his life-long quest to free slaves after the civil war had ended by going into politics and pushing for the use of black slaves and training the slaves as troops during the civil war.