45: Robert Smalls Battles Bribery Charges (Part 4)

Brace yourselves. This episode is chock-full of post-reconstruction politics. Boy, is it grim! And also a little… relevant? (Ew!) As South Carolina politics turned on its head, Robert Smalls emerged as one of the few Republican politicians still able to hold his seat. Unfortunately, Smalls’ influence and popularity put a target on his back. Soon, his political opponents ensured that he was charged with bribery. The trial was an absolute mess. Remember, kids, history hoes always cite their sources! For this episode, Norm pulled from: Billingsley, Andrew. Yearning to Breathe Free: Robert Smalls of South Carolina and His Families. Columbia: University of South Carolina Press, 2010. Lineberry, Cate. Be Free or Die: The Amazing Story of Robert Smalls’ Escape from Slavery to Union Hero. St. Martin’s Press, 2017. Miller, Edward. Gullah Statesman: Robert Smalls from Slavery to Congress, 1839-1915. University of South Carolina Press, 2008. Are you enjoying An Old Timey Podcast? Then please leave us a 5-star rating and review wherever you listen to podcasts! Are you *really* enjoying An Old Timey Podcast? Well, calm down, history ho! You can get more of us on Patreon at patreon.com/oldtimeypodcast. At the $5 level, you’ll get a monthly bonus episode (with video!), access to our 90’s style chat room, plus the entire back catalog of bonus episodes from Kristin’s previous podcast, Let’s Go To Court.

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