The Robert Smalls Monument Commission (Commission) was created by Act 183 of the 2024 South Carolina Legislature to determine the design of the monument enduring the historical significance to Robert Smalls and its location on the State House grounds. The Commission is empowered and directed to raise private funds and may receive gifts and grants to carry out this purpose.
The South Carolina Attorney General’s Office has concluded that the Commission is an agency of the state and the Commission’s purpose serves a valid and overriding public purpose. Op. S.C. Att’y Gen. (August 13, 2024).
Robert Smalls was born into slavery in 1839, in Beaufort, South Carolina. By the time he was in his early 20s, Smalls had won freedom for himself and his family, and was a naval war hero. He became a prominent leader in the community during the Reconstruction era, including service in both the state and national legislature.
During the Civil War, Smalls commandeered the Confederate ship, the USS Planter, on which he was an enslaved crewmember, delivering himself and its black passengers from slavery to freedom through a gauntlet of gunboats and forts. Smalls sailed the group out to the naval blockade squadron and turned the USS Planter over to the United States Navy. From that moment on, he dedicated himself to the fight for justice and equality.
Following his escape, Smalls served in the Union Navy. He piloted both the USS Planter and the USS Keokuk, an ironclad screw steamer which was sunk by enemy fire in April 1863, injuring Smalls. His maritime knowledge and geography of the South Carolina coast proved to be an asset to the Union military.
He became a prominent leader in the community during the Reconstruction era, including service in both the state and national legislature. Smalls served in the South Carolina House of Representatives, the South Carolina Senate and the United States House of Representatives for five non-consecutive years. Smalls spoke openly in defense of his race and party. Even with the rise of Jim Crow laws, he stood firm as an unyielding advocate for the political rights of African Americans.
His story illustrates the transformative potential of Reconstruction throughout the southern United States. Facts about Robert Smalls:
- One of the first South Carolinians to advocate successfully for compulsory education.
- Played a critical role in bridging relations between the black and white communities during and after Reconstruction.
- First black man to become a pilot in the United States Navy.
- Founded the Enterprise Railroad Company of Charleston.
- Served as a Brigadier General of the South Carolina Militia.
- Opened a store for freedmen and a school for black children.
- Published a newspaper called the Beaufort Southern Standard.
- Served as the U.S. Customs collector at the port of Beaufort.
- Promoted the establishment of the US Naval Station at Port Royal and the purchase of Parris Island.
- In 2007, the support vessel, Maj. Gen. Robert Smalls, was the first US Army ship to be named after an African American, honoring the legacy of Robert Smalls.
- Smalls married Hannah Jones and, upon her death, remarried Annie Wigg. He had four children: Elizabeth, Sarah, Robert, Jr., and William Robert.
- Smalls died in Beaufort on February 22, 1915, in the same house behind which he had been born and served as a slave, and later came to purchase.
The Robert Smalls Monument Commission was created to determine the design of the monument enduring historical significance to Robert Smalls and its location on the State House grounds.
The Commission:
- Chair: South Carolina Department of Administration Director or Designee
| Senators | Representatives |
|---|---|
The Honorable Darrell Jackson (D) |
The Honorable Brandon L. Cox (R) |
The Honorable George E. “Chip” Campsen, III (R) |
The Honorable Sylleste H. Davis (R) |
The Honorable A. Shane Massey (R) |
The Honorable Wendell G. Gilliard (D) |
The Honorable Tom Davis (R) |
The Honorable Patrick B. Haddon (R) |
The Honorable Margie Bright Matthews (D) |
The Honorable Jermaine L. Johnson, Sr. (D) |
The state of South Carolina released a request for qualifications (RFQ), to include conceptual renderings. RFQ responses were due 11 a.m. Wednesday, Oct. 23.
- Request for Qualifications (RFQ)
- Map of the State House Grounds (courtesy of South Carolina Department of Parks, Recreation & Tourism)
- State House Grounds photos
- Robert Smalls photos
The Robert Smalls Monument Commission selected Basil Watson as the artist to propose to the State House Committee, per the requirements set forth in Act 183 of 2024. The Commission also selected a location for consideration of the Robert Smalls Monument.
Robert Smalls Maquette by Basil Watson
Proposed Location on the State House Grounds
If you wish to donate towards the design of the Robert Smalls Monument, or its ultimate construction and dedication, you may submit donations:
- Paper Check:
Make checks payable to “Robert Smalls Monument Commission.”
Checks may be mailed to:
The Robert Smalls Monument Commission
South Carolina Department of Administration
1200 Senate Street, Suite 409
Columbia, SC 29201
-
Online:
You may submit donations online using electronic check, debit or credit card (Mastercard, Visa and American Express). There is a $2,500 limit per transaction for online donations.
Please note, donors must provide a name and address to receive a receipt for their donations.
Email for general inquires on the Robert Smalls Monument Commission.