Brace yourselves. This episode is chock-full of post-reconstruction politics. Boy, is it grim! And also a little… relevant? (Ew!)

As South Carolina politics turned on its head, Robert Smalls emerged as one of the few Republican politicians still able to hold his seat. Unfortunately, Smalls’ influence and popularity put a target on his back. Soon, his political opponents ensured that he was charged with bribery. The trial was an absolute mess.

Billingsley, Andrew. Yearning to Breathe Free: Robert Smalls of South Carolina and His Families. Columbia: University of South Carolina Press, 2010.

Lineberry, Cate. Be Free or Die: The Amazing Story of Robert Smalls’ Escape from Slavery to Union Hero. St. Martin’s Press, 2017.

Miller, Edward. Gullah Statesman: Robert Smalls from Slavery to Congress, 1839-1915. University of South Carolina Press, 2008.

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