Robert Smalls Elected to Congress from South Carolina

Robert Smalls, who in 1862 had commandeered the Confederate vessel Planter and delivered it to Union forces — becoming a celebrated war hero — was elected to the U.S. House from South Carolina in 1875. He served five terms and was present on the floor when the Civil Rights Act of 1875 passed. He fought disenfranchisement into the 1890s and witnessed the reversal of all he had built.