Premium Essay

Robert Smalls: A Hero

Submitted By
Words 505
Pages 3
Robert Smalls is one of the most underrated black historians that ever lived. Robert Smalls has conquered a lot of different challenges and even some risky ones yet no one talks about him. He’s rarely even talked about among his own people leaving out the fact that he’s brave, a hero, and he’s confident. Robert Smalls put his life on the line to help free slaves on the coast of the Carolinians.

First, Robert Smalls was an extremely strong and brave man being that he sailed slaves to freedom on a stolen ship. Robert Smalls was born on April 5, 1839 in Beaunfort, South Carolina. He was enslaved before and after the Civil War. During the Civil War time Robert Smalls and a small handful of slave was ordered by their slave owner to be a helping hand on a confederate ship. During the early morning hours of May 13, 1862 Robert and the other slaves, in the absence of the white captain and crew, they slipped on the ship witch had hundreds of ammunition on it that was used in the war This was an act of bravery on his part to come up with the idea of stealing the ship. …show more content…
While on the ship Smalls ordered his crew to go out and not only get their families but other slaves too. While sailing north Smalls had to pass numerous amounts of other confederate battleships. Robert being the only person on the sip that could read was able to know what signals to send to the other ships so they wouldn’t get caught. Once in the northern territory Robert had freed over seventeen people, including his and the crews

Similar Documents

Premium Essay

Hero Journey

...or steps along their individual hero journey. Not all Hero’s follow all the same steps, or even in the same order. Westley’s Hero Journey in “The Princess Bride”, is a very good example of a Campbell’s Hero Journey outline (The Princess Bride) (“Hero’s Journey: Summary”). The Hero’s journey is divided into three sections; the departure, the initiation, and the return. The first section, the departure, starts off with the hero’s call to adventure. For Westley, his call to adventure was when he left the farm to travel on a ship and find his fortune. He wants to be a suitable husband for Buttercup. He wants be able to provide for her in the fashion that she is accustomed to and he thinks that she deserves to live in. Campbell’s second step is the refusal of the call to adventure. Westley wanting to marry Buttercup and provide everything her heart desires does not refuse his call to adventure. Once the hero has committed to his quest, his or her supernatural aid, guide, or magical helper in unveiled. Westley in a roundabout way completes this step by becoming the Dread Pirate Roberts. Becoming the Dread Pirate Roberts allowed him to create an alter ego raising him up from being a poor farm boy to a legendary feared Pirate and ultimately allowing him to amass a small fortune. Westley completes Campbell’s next step, the crossing of the first threshold, when he left the farm to set sail on the ship. Although this is out of order for Campbell’s Hero Journey, Westley still completes...

Words: 979 - Pages: 4

Premium Essay

The Wars

... 1. Journal Entries Character Sketch Robert Ross, the “nineteen years old” protagonist in Timothy Findley’s The Wars is: -innocent: “Robert is easily bruised” this can be interpreted in the sense that Robert represents innocence which is can be easily corrupted by bad things such as war. -introverted: “Robert avoided them through the journey-wanting to protect the last of his privacy”“he was studious and careful: exact. He watched the men around him from a distance...he found excuses to keep them at bay” -compassionate: Robert is compassionate towards the weak and helpless like his mentally challenged sister Rowena for whom he was a loving “guardian”. When he was forced to shoot the wounded horse on the convoy ship, it really pained Robert to shoot the animal and when it took more than one shot to kill it, Robert felt bad for not putting it out of its misery to the point he gets frustrated with himself and the horse -a leader: Robert was a person who could lead and follow, although he knew that Captain Leather’s orders to place the gun beds in a bad spot he followed his orders and during the gas attack he was able to direct his men, who weren’t issued gas masks, to safety (he told them to urinate on their handkerchiefs). One of his men was in shock and was unable to urinate so Robert, the only person with a gas mask, gave his mask to the soldier. Furthermore, when they were ‘escaping’ the German, Robert, made all of his men leave the area before he did...

Words: 2033 - Pages: 9

Premium Essay

How Does Robert Lose Innocence

...Robert loses innocence through the death of his sister, Rowena. Since Robert and his sister are intertwined through Robert’s role as a guardian and Rowena’s role as the one being protected, there is a comparison between “Robert and Rowena – rabbits and wheelchairs – children, dogs and horses” with Rowena being the innocent animal, the child, and Robert being the protector (Findley, 7). Robert’s connection with animals allows readers to reflect on the shift in his mindset, especially by witnessing the deaths of different animals. Rowena’s death symbolizes the right of passage from Robert as he is coming of age, revealing the harsh reality of life. Consequently, Robert tries to save the innocent, small rabbits, in hopes of staying connected with Rowena; but, again...

Words: 433 - Pages: 2

Free Essay

International Trade

...Prophet of Innovation: Joseph Schumpeter and Creative Destruction, by Thomas K. McCraw, Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 719 pages, $35. In Joseph A. Schumpeter’s (1883-1950) encyclopedic History of Economic Analysis, Schumpeter began by proclaiming that histories of economics should confine themselves to economic analysis, which he defined as “the analytic or scientific aspects of economic thought" (1954: 1). Schumpeter then proceeded to ignore his own edict, for over 1000 small-print pages. Having preached analysis-only Schumpeter practiced more ecumenically, weaving together intellectual history, biography, and economic sociology. Indeed, Schumpeter spent most of his last decade writing the 800,000 words of the ferociously erudite History, and thereby failing to complete a long-planned work of economic analysis. Thomas McCraw’s splendid new book brilliantly illuminates this Schumpeterian paradox, and the many others that made Schumpeter, as Phillip Mirowski put it, “a living, breathing contradiction” (1994: 5). Prophet of Innovation is not just a beautifully drawn portrait of Schumpeter’s life and times, it is also a distinguished business historian’s meditation on the two opposed cultures of political economy post-1870: history and theory. The Prophet of Innovation, among its other accomplishments, tells the story of how a great and productive intellect wrestled with the two-cultures problem in political economy. In the work of Schumpeter, McCraw finds the very personification...

Words: 2820 - Pages: 12

Premium Essay

Science Final

...periphery of scientific progress and quality of life for our race. In the media however, these men seem to take a back seat to the characters of scientists played on Broadway and on the silver screen. The portrayal of scientists in the media, at least in fictional platforms of media; i.e. prime time television shows, movies, books, plays, show eccentric and often deranged, disheveled men franticly working away, mad with power and playing god. In the animated comedy “Futurama”, created by Matt Groining, the “Professor”, whom is a scientist, is portrayed as a senile old man on the verge of death and/or dementia. The “typical” media portrayal of fictional scientists is exploited in the animated series, and serve as a good reflection, and a small truth on how society sees our scientist. Other characters that come to mind are Dr. Frankenstein and Dr. Jekyll. All three fictional characters share the odd characteristic of reckless abandon in the pursuit of a greater good, only to loose control and overstep their bounds with dire consequences. The characteristics that I see in my vision of a scientist are 1.) A desire to contribute to human progress. 2.) Highly educated and intelligent. 3.) Stylish hair. I...

Words: 1259 - Pages: 6

Free Essay

Entrepreneurship and Innovation

...Although faced with many challenges and uncertainties, small businesses continue to expand and flourish across the United States. Small businesses are created through entrepreneurship, involving creativity, energy, proper planning and innovation; they benifit the country by providing opportunities, such as creating new jobs, making profits and improving the quality of a market products. Every small business has its own unique story of success and disparity. Alex Rigopulos and Eran Egozy, founders of Harmonix, a game developer, started out with severely inadequate revenue and failed products; eventually creating a virtual phenomenon known as "Guitar Hero" and "Rock Band" (two music video-games which sky-rocketed the company's success). Chef Nobu spent more than thirty years enduring experimentation, failure and unstable business partner- relationships. Chad Hurley, Steve Chen and Jawed Karim simply needed to figure out how to post a video segment, from a party, to the internet for sharing. Thus, the birth of Youtube.com. Without the prevailance of small businesses, we would not be living in the world the way it has been shaped. Harmonix, founded by Alex Rigopulos and Eran Egozy, is a video game company that created the revolutionary “Guitar Hero” and “Rock Band.” The root of their success was creativity and innovation, which was covered in class. The story began when Alex and Eran were finishing their degrees at MIT. Both were interested in applying music and technology to non-musicians...

Words: 1356 - Pages: 6

Premium Essay

Forest Gum

...(disambiguati). Forrest Gump | Theatrical release poster | Directed by | Robert Zemeckis | Produced by | Wendy Finerman Steve Tisch Steve Starkey Charles Newirth | Screenplay by | Eric Roth | Based on | Forrest Gump by Winston Groom | Starring | Tom Hanks Robin Wright Gary Sinise Mykelti Williamson Sally Field | Music by | Alan Silvestri | Cinematography | Don Burgess | Edited by | Arthur Schmiet | Distributed by | Paramount Pictures | Release dates | * July 6, 1994 | Running time | 142 minutes | Country | United States | Language | English | Budget | $55 million | Box office | $677.9 million | The Move Review: I've never met anyone like Forrest Gump in a movie before, and for that matter I've never seen a movie quite like "Forrest Gump." Any attempt to describe him will risk making the movie seem more conventional than it is, but let me try. It's a comedy, I guess. Or maybe a drama. Or a dream. The screenplay by Eric Roth has the complexity of modern fiction, not the formulas of modern movies. Its hero, played by Tom Hanks, is a thoroughly decent man with an IQ of 75, who manages between the 1950s and the 1980s to become involved in every major event in American history. And he survives them all with only honesty and niceness as his shields. And yet this is not a heartwarming story about a mentally retarded man. That cubbyhole is much too small and limiting for Forrest Gump. The movie is more of a meditation on...

Words: 891 - Pages: 4

Premium Essay

Hundred Years War Recurring Patterns

...Carthage’s government was corrupt and failed to sufficiently fund and support the army during the First and Second Punic Wars (Mark). This led to internal conflict and weakened forces. The English obtained and executed the French war hero, Joan of Arc, which created a martyr for the French to fight for (Streissguth). These poor decisions made by Carthage and England contributed to their downfall by allowing their rivals the opportunity to get the upper hand. During the Second Punic War, the Romans recovered from their major loss at the Battle of Cannae by sending a fleet to attack Carthage, prompting Carthage to recall Hannibal (Mark). Near the end of the Hundred Years’ War, Joan of Arc revived the French spirit and patriotism that allowed France to win many victories, even after her death (Roberts). These triumphs weakened the English, and the French eventually won the war. The Carthaginians and the English made detrimental decisions toward the ends of the wars that prompted their defeats. The Romans were strengthened by clever choices, and the French were strengthened by determination and patriotism. Both the Punic Wars and the Hundred Years’ War exhibited this pattern of the victors using mental strength to overcome their...

Words: 785 - Pages: 4

Premium Essay

Kidnapped vs in Cold Blood Comparison

...In the novels Kidnapped by Robert Louis Stevenson and In Cold Blood by Truman Capote both authors demonstrate their use of characters and their change throughout the novel. In Kidnapped, the characters David and Ebenezer Balfour and the characters Herb Clutter, Perry, and Alvin Dewey in In Cold Blood are dynamic characters because they all undergo a change within the novels. Furthermore, Capote and Stevenson use suspense to promote the character dynamics within the novels. Capote and Stevenson cohesively use suspense with irony, the theme of chase and the overall structure of their novels to illustrate the character dynamics. Suspenseful irony is used to show the change in character throughout the novels. Suspense adds to the theme of chase because the characters try to converge on something they are after. The structure of the novels plays to the authors’ use of suspense in their own styles. Robert Louis Stevenson’s novel, Kidnapped, depicts the adventures of David Balfour in search of his inheritance in the perilous Scottish Highlands in 1751. David comes close to retrieving his inheritance, but his uncle, Ebenezer Balfour, has other plans for David. He tries to kill David by coercing him to climb a rickety, old stair-tower. David barely manages to make it out alive because his uncle has lied to him about the condition of the stairs thus the devious side of Ebenezer Balfour emerges. Ebenezer’s failed attempt to get rid of David calls for the use of his secondary plan involving...

Words: 3051 - Pages: 13

Free Essay

Psychodynamic Theory

...their lives. Yes, my theory was built from Freud’s idea of instincts just as most psychoanalytical psychologists work, but my work emphasizes the importance of interpersonal relationships, we focus more on the significance of mothers, and the key motivation in my theory is human connection and how we relate. I believe we are all predisposed to certain personalities. Something Freud and I both accepted was the “existence of phylogenetic endowment” (Feist and Roberts, 2013, p. 144). I also believe that young children adopt defense mechanisms such as introjection, splitting, projective identification, and projection to protect themselves from destructive fantasies and the anxiety that follows. Jung, please give us a description of your theory as well. I, too, was a colleague of Freud and some of my work also was built on ideas he formed. When I went in my own direction I coined the idea of analytical theory. My theory was based on “the assumption that occult phenomena can and do influence the lives of everyone” (Feist and Roberts, 2013, p. 102). Like Freud, I do believe people are motived by repressed understandings, except I also believe that we inherit experiences that are emotionally driven from our ancestors. My theory also consists of archetypes that can only be acquired when there is a balance between within our...

Words: 1560 - Pages: 7

Premium Essay

North South Battle

...The battle of the North and South continues. General Robert E Lee retreated from General Ulysses S Grant after the battle of Gettysburg which was the turning point in the war resulting in the surrender. Additional battles lead to ultimate meeting finalizing the Loss of the war. When Grant and Lee met at the Appomattox courthouse, they gave each other as much respect as possible. When they met Lee said “It would be useless and therefore cruel to provoke the further effusion of blood”. Grant let the soldiers keep their small weapons and horses. Grant also gave the soldiers provisions, so they could eat and have them respect him. One of the most important things that Grant did for the soldiers, is that he let Lee and the soldiers go...

Words: 870 - Pages: 4

Premium Essay

The Nightingale and the Rose

...0202 / ‫مجلة ديالى‬ ‫العدد الرابع و االربعون‬ The Bird as a Sacrificial Hero in Oscar Wilde’s “The Nightingale and the Rose” and “The Happy Prince” BY ASST. INST. Shaima’ Fadhil Hassan UNIVERSITY OF KOYA/ COLLEGE OF LANGUAGES/ DEPARTMENT OF ENGLISH Heroism and sacrifice are not new concepts; they can be traced back to the early days of human life. These concepts developed throughout history as a result of the development of human thought. In literature, the idea of heroism appears on a large scale. It has been dealt with by different writers in different periods. As far as terminology is concerned, the terms of heroism and sacrifice are interchangeable. The hero must be a sacrificer and the one who sacrifices himself must be a hero, for this reason these two terms (hero and sacrificer) cannot be separated. Thus, both of them go hand in hand in so many works of literature. Heroism and sacrifice are not confined to human beings only. Some writers present their heroes as gods as in mythology, and some of them present animals as in fables. 809 0202 / ‫مجلة ديالى‬ ‫العدد الرابع و االربعون‬ The idea of having an animal as a sacrificial hero is shown in many of Oscar Wilde’s short stories. He developed this theme as a reaction towards his age which lacked, in his view, moral as well as human values. For this reason, he chooses a bird to be his tragic hero. He epitomizes this idea in such short stories like “The Nightingale and the Rose” and “The Happy Prince”....

Words: 4196 - Pages: 17

Free Essay

Joan D'Arc

...JOAN OF ARC THE STORY OF JEHANETTE d’ARC TIM PARRY, JR. Chapman University 14 January 2004 HIST 306 DR. W. F. LEE Bibliography Birkin, Andrew. The Messenger: The Story of Joan of Arc. California: Columbia Pictures, 1999. Prayer to St. Joan of Arc for Faith. Retrieved from http://members.tripod.com/ LaPieta/joanarc.htm on January 13, 2004. St. Joan of Arc. Retrieved from http://www.catholic.org on January 13, 2004. Tierney, Brian. Western Europe in the Middle Ages: 300-1475, Sixth Edition. New York: The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc., 1999. Trask, Willard. Joan of Arc: In Her Own Words. New York: Turtle Point Press, 1996. INTRODUCTION In the face of your enemies, in the face of harassment, ridicule, and doubt, you held firm in your faith. Even in your abandonment, alone and without friends, you held firm in your faith. Even as you faced your own mortality, you held firm in your faith. I pray that I may be as bold in my beliefs as you, St. Joan. I ask that you ride alongside me in my own battles. Help me be mindful that what is worthwhile can be won when I persist. Help me hold firm in my faith. Help me believe in my ability to act well and wisely. Amen. This is a Catholic prayer for Faith said today to Saint Joan of Arc who was canonized in 1920 by Pope Benedict XV. According to the official Catholic Church web site she tops the list of the most popular Catholic Saints. So why was this woman burned...

Words: 1898 - Pages: 8

Premium Essay

Frankenstein as a Gothic Novel

...Frankenstein as a Gothic Novel Mary Shelley’s novel Frankenstein is considered as a Gothic novel but it can be seen as a compilation of both Gothic and Romantic because of the significance of the sublime. Certain events and settings in the novel present the gothic themes. Shelley uses the different themes in her novel to evoke feelings of horror and terror in the reader. Frankenstein engages in a quest in pushing the realms of science to their limits which leads him to playing god and creating an unnatural being using science. One of the themes Shelley uses in the novel to create the gothic presence is the theme of Forbidden Knowledge. Mary Shelley introduces the ideas that science is capable of being very dangerous and has consequences through the character of Victor Frankenstein. Shelley’s time was described as the age of unprecedented scientific discoveries, which influenced her in writing of Frankenstein. The process of the creation of his creation was influenced by the Italian physician Luigi Galvani who discovered “animal electricity” which manifests with the twitching of nerves and muscles when an electric current is applied. Frankenstein seeks to find “the secrets of heaven and earth” to fulfil his quest. He calls them secrets; he is aware they are not to be known and should not be found. Frankenstein knows that acquiring such knowledge would not be easy as he states “how dangerous the acquirement of knowledge”. Frankenstein is aware of the uneasy task of seeking...

Words: 1561 - Pages: 7

Free Essay

Make Sure You'Re Right, Then Go Ahead

...Red Feather Journal 73 “Be Sure You're Right, Then Go Ahead”: The Davy Crockett Gun Craze by Sarah Nilsen In April 2005, sixty thousand members of the National Rifle Association gathered in Houston, Texas for their 134th Annual Meeting. The keynote speaker for the event was embattled U.S. House Majority Leader, Representative Tom De Lay. After his speech, De Lay was joined on stage by Lee Hamel dressed as Davy Crockett in full buckskin attire and a coonskin hat. Hamel presented De Lay with a handcrafted flintlock rifle that he had made for the event with his mentor, Cecil Brooks. The presentation of the reproduction rifle to De Lay is part of a long NRA tradition that began in 1955 when Walt Disney‟s Davy Crockett series first appeared on television. When Charlton Heston received his handcrafted flintlock rifle in 1989, he uttered his famous words, “From my cold dead hands.” President Ronald Reagan and Vice President Dick Cheney also joined the list of those who received facsimile Davy Crockett flintlock rifles from a man dressed in Crockett buckskin attire. This tradition is part of the NRA‟s efforts to represent the gun as a key instrument in the founding of the United States. It secured this ideological representation in part by appropriating the mythology of early American heroes like Davy Crockett. Davy Crockett became emblematic of the gun mythology of early American life. This mythology was synergized by the NRA and popularized through children‟s television...

Words: 8084 - Pages: 33