Season 1 · Episode 1
Before Dawn: Robert Smalls and the Escape of the Planter
An enslaved pilot steers toward freedom. Follow Robert Smalls and the families escaping aboard the Planter.
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The story
Before dawn on May 13, 1862, Robert Smalls took control of a Confederate transport in Charleston Harbor. The 23-year-old enslaved pilot and his fellow crew members collected waiting families, passed Confederate defenses, and steered toward the Union blockade.
But reaching Union ships brought one final danger: being mistaken for an enemy.
In our first episode, follow the escape aboard the Planter that carried sixteen people out of slavery. Discover how Smalls’s maritime skills helped secure their freedom—and how his story continued through wartime service and a career in Congress.
Based on historical accounts from the National Park Service, National Archives, U.S. House of Representatives, and a contemporary naval report. Narration, music, and illustrative sound effects are AI-generated.
Episode description from the official podcast feed. Narration, music, and illustrative sound effects are AI-generated.
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Research & media
Follow the story beyond the episode with related reading and collection records.
Further reading & collections
- Robert Smalls ↗National Park Service
Explore Smalls’s escape, wartime service, and life during Reconstruction.
- Robert Smalls: a resource guide ↗Library of Congress
Find a starting point for books, manuscripts, speeches, and other research resources.
- Robert Smalls portrait: original catalog record ↗Library of Congress · Brady-Handy Collection
View the photograph’s catalog information, date range, and rights advisory.
These resources are selected for further exploration. They are not presented as the episode’s complete production bibliography.
Historical photograph
About the cover artwork
This episode uses the official show illustration in the published podcast feed. It is illustrative artwork, not an archival photograph or a primary historical source.
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