Posted February 09, 2023 in Articles
Author: Michael Rotman, Middle School Faculty
As the Civil War raged, an enslaved Black man named Robert Smalls pulled off one of the most daring nautical feats in American history.
When I speak these words, my students are instantly captivated. I can tell by their rapt attention that this fascinating tale is one they’ve not heard before. In fact, I would imagine few reading this post have ever heard of Captain Robert Smalls, because like many important historical figures with black or brown skin, his contributions aren’t typically included in textbooks. It’s my great pleasure to share more about this American hero’s story.
On the fateful evening of May 13, 1862, white crew members went ashore for the night, leaving the Planter, a well-stocked ammunition transport ship that had once been a cotton steamer, in the capable hands of the remaining crew—enslaved men forced into service by the Confederacy. Smalls, the pilot, commandeered the ship, fired up the boilers, and headed to a nearby wharf to pick up his wife, their two small children, and more than a dozen other men, women, and children seeking freedom.
Using his knowledge of signals and protocol, they sailed undetected past a number of Confederate forts and gun batteries, delivering the vessel and its cargo to a United States Navy squadron stationed just outside Charleston Harbor. By reaching Union lines, he and everyone else on board were finally free.
Smalls, a natural leader, went on to be named the United States Navy’s first Black captain. Later elected to Congress, he was among the first persons of color to serve in the House of Representatives. He dedicated his long life to the fight for equality.
While commonly untold, stories like his are not uncommon in the history of our country. Black history IS American history, and therefore should not be reserved for the margins of textbooks or in lessons only shared during a single month of the year. It was the many acts of bravery, by Smalls and so many others like him, that inspired the creation of Lawrence’s Middle School elective Untold History.
Another story we discuss in class is the life of Ona Judge. Social studies classes commonly explore the legacy of George Washington—his leadership during the Revolutionary War, his service as our country’s very first president, and his overall greatness. However, rarely do we hear about the slaves he and his family owned.
Born in 1774 at Mount Vernon, Washington’s Virginia plantation, Judge became Martha Washington’s personal maid at the age of 10. In 1796, she seized her freedom by slipping away from the presidential residence in Philadelphia (Washington was the only president who never actually lived in the White House). Judge evaded repeated attempts at recapture and settled in New Hampshire, where she lived freely for the rest of her life.
To students accustomed to hearing about Washington’s feats as commander in chief of the Continental army, Judge’s story raises many interesting questions. Above all, though, it highlights the fact that throughout history, whether independence from England or abolition of slavery, freedom was something that had to be fought for.
I personally became interested in these stories in college. While researching African American Clevelanders of historical note, I came across a record of protests at Euclid Beach Amusement Park in 1946. African Americans had long faced discrimination at the park, and, in the wake of World War II, a group of young people tried to put a stop to it.
As a native Clevelander, I grew up eating Humphrey popcorn balls, which made their debut at this lakefront destination, and to this day feature an illustration of its front gates on the packaging. The park closed before my time, but older generations keep its memory alive through their fond recollections.
I was shocked that I had never heard about the protests. Of course, I studied the protests staged in the South during the Civil Rights era, but here was a story so much closer to home, and therefore in many ways much more meaningful to me. When I became a social studies teacher, I wanted to make sure the important stories that are often left out of textbooks were not also left out of my lessons.
When I became a social studies teacher, I wanted to make sure the important stories that are often left out of textbooks were not also left out of my lessons.
I find students are usually surprised by the stories I share in Untold History, which makes their telling even more important! These lessons hold immense value in today’s classroom because they:
- increase engagement and personal connection to the subject matter
- promote empathy and social-emotional learning
- lead to all students feeling pride in their identity and a sense of belonging
Those reasons alone are significant, but in my opinion, the greatest benefit of learning about Untold History is the deep appreciation students gain for the fact that people of every background and skin color have played important roles in the formation of our great nation—roles worthy of our attention and respect.
To learn more about the incredible lives of Captain Robert Smalls and Ona Judge, check out these titles:
Children’s Books
- The Freedom Ship of Robert Smalls by Louise Meriwether
- Ona Judge Outwits the Washingtons: An Enslaved Woman Fights for Freedom by Gwendolyn Hooks
- Be Free or Die; The Amazing Story of Robert Smalls’ Escape from Slavery to Union Hero by Cate Lineberry
- Never Caught; Ona Judge, The Washingtons, and the Relentless Pursuit of Their Runaway Slave by Erica Armstrong Dunbar
Mr. Michael Rotman has been a member of Lawrence School’s faculty since 2015. He teaches Middle School Social Studies, Untold History, and History of Sports. He also serves as advisor for the school’s chapter of the National Junior Beta Club. He holds history degrees from Northwestern University and Cleveland State University, and is the former executive director of the Cleveland Heights Historical Society.