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Smalls' Bold Escape To Freedom
- Robert Smalls and seven enslaved crewmates seized the CSS Planter and sailed it to the Union blockade for freedom.
- Their daring escape freed Smalls, his family, and pressured Union policy on fugitive enslaved people.
Enslaved People Made The War Their Own
- Enslaved people actively resisted the Confederacy by slowing work, striking, and fleeing when possible.
- Their actions weakened the Confederate war effort and pushed Union leaders toward emancipation.
Fort Monroe Runaways Spark Change
- Shepherd Mallory, Frank Baker, and James Townsend escaped Confederate service and rowed to Fort Monroe seeking freedom.
- Their arrival forced General Benjamin Butler to classify them as "contraband," setting a legal precedent.