Comments

You must log in or register to comment.

Gilamath t1_jbaw3fo wrote

Robert Smalls is a legend. He'd be a legend if all he had done was escape slavery and his Confederate conscription. But he also delivered the vessel (the CSS Planter) to the Union, rescuing himself, his family, his crew of fellow Black conscripts, and the crew's families. And he did so at a a strategic moment, after the Confederates had just loaded several big guns and ammunition onto the vessel. They tricked the folks at Fort Sumpter, and made their way straight to the Union naval presence nearby, taking down the Confederate flag they'd been flying and putting up a white bedsheet. The Union nearly fired on them in the dark, but as they were raising the gun the sun rose to illuminate the white sheet and the Union held their fire

Smalls and much of the crew were Gullah, and I believe Smalls was one of the first (and few) Gullah statesmen in American history. Smalls did so much more for the nation too. He helped shame Philadelphia and many other big, supposedly tolerant cities to reform some of their most obscene anti-Black ordinances and policies. He provided the Union with major advantages in the war effort, including Tennessee. He was a pivotal figure in Reconstruction. He was legitimately one of the coolest people in American history, and he should be one of the most famous people in the nation. And he's only one of the many, many pivotal figures in American history of Gullah-Geechee background, yet almost no one today knows about him or Gullah-Geechee language & culture

110

Passion724 t1_jbc5fsr wrote

Wait he was Gullah!? Thats my family heritage I need to look into this

2

Gilamath t1_jbch8zv wrote

Yup. I try to spread the word because not only are so many people and groups hidden from the American people, but the reality of their heritages and ancestry culture are double-hidden. Folks with Gullah roots have a right to the knowledge

Smalls was fully bilingual, fluent in both English and Gullah-Geechee. His English was key to his success in advocating for himself (something he had to do throughout his entire life just to get a fraction of what he deserved) and for others. His Gullah let him formulate and share his elaborate escape plan with fellow Gullah conscripted slaves, and helped him rally a strong Gullah base of support when he ran for Congressional office during Reconstruction

I'm afraid that's all I really know, I don't have any lived experience on the matter. His mother was Lydia Smalls, according to this source that Wikipedia links to, if that helps with tracing Smalls' kin. If you end up talking to a genealogist or anything like that, lemme know if you find something interesting!

8

Passion724 t1_jbchu52 wrote

I have family that do tours and such on history in St Helena Island. My grandmother was born on the island and My mom will love this info thank you so much! Its been awhile since I’ve been back but you’ve ignited a spark for me to do a deep dive on my family history.

6

jackindevelopment t1_jbaw38y wrote

It’s been renamed after Robert Smalls. Idk why it wasn’t put it in the title of the post or the article.

30

rini_mai t1_jbba5ne wrote

That's who I assumed it was named after. His story is fascinating and he truly deserves this honor.

10

dardios t1_jbatx5q wrote

My only qualm is that he really deserved a fresh ship to bear his name.

17

ytperegrine t1_jbbpako wrote

Yeah, my guess is that it will be decommissioned in about 5 years. They should have named one of the new Flight III DDG’s after him instead.

11

Autodidact2 t1_jbapovd wrote

Excellent. Why has no movie been made about this hero's life?

8

SidewinderTV t1_jbbkcpd wrote

No no no, can't have that. Let's make another Medieval Europe setting where half the characters are black instead.

7

Flamelord29 t1_jbbh10f wrote

Isnt it bad luck to rename a ship? If it goes down we'll know why

8

Ltbest t1_jbal4wr wrote

  1. Definitely uplifting news.
  2. I though CG’s were named after battles and DDG’s were named after people. No confusion here
6

LostMyKarmaElSegundo t1_jbb0evq wrote

The caption on the photo misidentifies the ship as a guided missile destroyer.

The navy has been very inconsistent in its naming/numbering conventions for a long time now.

The US is down to 11 Cruisers, and there has been a significant effort to decommission them entirely. So, this ship may not remain in service for very long, making the renaming kind of hollow.

The surface navy is in total disarray and has no idea what the future is going to look like.

12

focoloconoco t1_jbcb6qc wrote

Internet advice:

Naming boats is a tradition since it is believed long ago that naming boats after god and goddess' name would bring luck to travel and good fortune. The wrong name was the difference between good luck and being lost at sea. Changing the name of a ship has historically been considered bad luck.

Why is it bad luck to change the name of a vessel? Boats change hands all the time, and what was a perfect name for one owner can't possibly be the perfect name for you. Many boaters and sailors, though, insist changing the name brings bad luck. If you must change it, you should perform a ceremony first to ensure good luck.

3

tosser1579 t1_jbcqlro wrote

Normally I'd be against renaming a ship as it is bad luck, but having a ship named after an enemy victory is bad luck to begin with. Smalls is a great example of what it is to be an American.

2

Stillwater215 t1_jbd5vw8 wrote

“Sailor, Statesman” as a description doesn’t do Robert Smalls justice. Read up on this man’s story, and then can someone please get Lin Manuel Miranda to write a musical about him?

2

AutoModerator t1_jba3nxu wrote

Reminder: this subreddit is meant to be a place free of excessive cynicism, negativity and bitterness. Toxic attitudes are not welcome here.

All Negative comments will be removed and will possibly result in a ban.

I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.

1

zhulgram t1_jbcg4zq wrote

Stunning and brave!

1

monkeygoneape t1_jbd1vge wrote

What was the original name? I just know Robert smalls was a badass and really convincing wartime LARPer (as in tricking the enemy, not playing pretend at war, he clearly wasn't playing pretend)

1

icanlickmyunibrow t1_jbav7dz wrote

Can someone explain why that’s uplifting news?

−1

macabrebob t1_jbcmd5t wrote

imperialism but make it heartwarming

−2

GangsterMailGmail t1_jbc5mrp wrote

When the imperialist war crime us military does a progressive

Im glad tho that smalls is getting some recognition but the military will never be able to make up for what they have done

−6

Amazing_Andrew_47 t1_jbdir4f wrote

Nor will any other government for the past crimes of their armies. What is gained by saying this?

2