Captain Robert Smalls: The Greatest Civil War Hero; Book One of the Titan Series By DaShan Thomas
Captain Robert Smalls: The Greatest Civil War Hero
Great Granddaddy says when Robert Smalls made a plan to escape slavery, he brought as much of the community with him as he could. Together, they would work as a team and do the impossible. But the story doesn't end there!
Robert Smalls, born and raised as an enslaved person, commandeered a steamer ship with his crew and all of their families. They sailed to freedom, and then won several pivotal battles in the Civil War, which in turn won the freedom of all enslaved people in the United States.
This is the true story Great Granddaddy shares one evening, from the warmth of his backyard garden in the Historic Black Pullman neighborhood.
At 12 years old, Robert Smalls is standing on the docks at Charleston. He is alone, his family is far away. Unfair describes every day. He remembers his mother telling him they were supposed to be free, and the encouragement from the carriage driver that brought him here: "learn to love to learn." Young Robert Smalls looked at the boats in front of him and decided to learn everything he could about them.
Years later, Hannah Smalls is on board The Confederate Steamship Planter. Lazy, mean Confederate Officers just left, and Hannah's husband Robert is telling her he has a plan to take this boat and everyone on board past enemy lines to safety. Together, they have worked as a team throughout their marriage, always aiming for freedom. What Robert suggests is dangerous, risky, and wildly brave. Hannah agrees completely with the plan.
Burress is a different kind of runaway. He hates the plan. Burress is the type of slave who thinks he can get his freedom by telling on all the other slaves. He thinks they should listen to HIM, and be more grateful to massa.
Smalls will soon join the Union Navy to fight the confederates. At first Robert will be given the commission of Pilot of the Planter. But circumstances in a battle that the Union Navy wasn't supposed to be a part of, will force Robert to make the choice of being a brave man or a coward that will get his Black Crew Mates Killed.
Today, Jelani is a kid in his Great Granddaddy's backyard, listening to him tell the life story of Captain Robert Smalls. As he helps Great Granddaddy choose basil and tomatoes, Jelani learns how essential each of Robert Smalls' crew members were, how they worked as a team, and how Smalls never stopped working to help his people.
Surrounded by his cousins Jaleesa, Jazmine, Jaleel - and new little cousin Izzy - Jelani learns how Smalls became a legendary boat pilot. Great Granddaddy says Robert Smalls would achieve wealth, success and fame as soon as he had the opportunity, but he always remained driven to help other Black People.
Hard truths about the realities of slavery are told honestly but gently, and Great Granddaddy uses a vibrant ensemble cast of characters, a good dose of adventure and some occasional comic relief to make each part of the story easier to understand and enjoy. True to history, every member of the crew, and each family member play an important role on this team of real life heroes. Themes include the love of learning, the joy of family love and the importance of helping each other. This book takes a side in the anti CRT, book ban debate. It is a side that embraces the rich beauty of Black History, telling a story of a group of Founding African Americans that should never be forgotten.
Captain Robert Smalls: The Titan; Book One of
The TITAN Abridged Series
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NEW GRAPHIC NOVEL ABOUT ROBERT SMALLS IS
ENTERTAINING EDUCATION ON BLACK HEROISM AND BLACK HISTORY
"Captain Robert Smalls: The Greatest Civil War Hero" is Book One of a new Graphic Novel Trilogy from author/illustrator DaShan Thomas. Robert Smalls, born and raised as an enslaved person, commandeered the steamer ship "Planter" with his crew and all of their families.
"Other books, even other Graphic Novels have been written about Smalls - and I liked those books,” said Thomas, “but in my research I kept finding more. For example: Smalls was a member of secret societies in Charleston, where free and enslaved people met to discuss ways to help other Black People. It was clear there was more story to tell."
"Captain Robert Smalls: The Greatest Civil War Hero" is something of a slow burn: starting out in modern times at a Stony Island intersection as a family anticipates the true story their Great Granddaddy promised to tell them today. As we get to know the large cast of characters in Small’s life, the pace picks up and draws the reader into the type of entertaining action one hopes to find in a book set during the Civil War. The Graphic Novel presents hard truths honestly but gently, and includes several pages of educational material at the back – including bibliography and an “inspiring photos” section with character shots next to photos from the 1800’s.
Thomas's first comic book was the critically acclaimed "Equis Mortis," of the mid 90’s. Participating in the first annual "Black Age of Comics" convention and attending the American Academy of Art to study computer graphics, he was focused on two of his closest passions: art and technology. Soon he was drawn into entrepreneurship, successfully tackling IT, Coding, and Software Design, until the mid-pandemic era. A lifelong Chicagoan from the South Side neighborhood of Hyde Park, he suddenly found himself living in the West Suburbs with his heart pulling him back towards sequential art – and Black History.
By the end of this book (Book One), Smalls has arrived across enemy lines, gotten freedom for himself and everyone else onboard and negotiated with the Union military a reward price for the commandeered steamship. Book Two, (already in late production), is action packed and focused on Robert Smalls’ experiences as a Union officer in the Civil War.
"Captain Robert Smalls: The Greatest Civil War Hero" is available for purchase direct from the publisher, as well as on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Etsy, Bookshop.org and more.