{"product_id":"be-free-or-die-the-amazing-story-of-robert-smalls-escape-from-slavery-to-union-hero","title":"Be Free or Die: The Amazing Story of Robert Smalls' Escape from Slavery to Union Hero by Cate Lineberry","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e\"A stunning tale of a little-known figure in history. Robert Smalls' astounding heroism during the Civil War helped convince Lincoln and the country that African Americans were extraordinarily capable of fighting for their freedom. Lineberry has produced a triumph in this heroic story that illuminates our country's ongoing struggles with race.\" --Henry Louis Gates, Jr, Professor in American History Harvard University and Executive Producer of \u003ci\u003eFinding Your Roots\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"Be Free or Die\u003c\/i\u003e makes you want to stand up and cheer. Cate Lineberry has done us all a great service by telling this incredibly moving, thrilling, and important story about an American hero who deserves to be remembered, and admired.\" --Candice Millard, author of \u003ci\u003eHero of the Empire\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\"An immersive, well-crafted history.\" -- \u003ci\u003eThe Atlanta-Journal Constitution\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\"A valuable narrative history that will benefit readers interested in African-American, Civil War, or naval history.\" -- \u003ci\u003eLibrary Journal\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\"Lineberry ably provides context for Smalls' saga: slavery's horrors, the story of blacks in the Union fighting force...in this compelling story.\" -- \u003ci\u003eBooklist\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFacing death rather than enslavement--a story of one man's triumphant choice and ultimate rise to national hero\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt was a mild May morning in Charleston, South Carolina, in 1862, the second year of the Civil War, when a twenty-three-year-old slave named Robert Smalls did the unthinkable and boldly seized a Confederate steamer. With his wife and two young children hidden on board, Smalls and a small crew ran a gauntlet of heavily armed fortifications in Charleston Harbor and delivered the valuable vessel and the massive guns it carried to nearby Union forces. To be unsuccessful was a death sentence for all. Smalls' courageous and ingenious act freed him and his family from slavery and immediately made him a Union hero while simultaneously challenging much of the country's view of what African Americans were willing to do to gain their freedom.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAfter his escape, Smalls served in numerous naval campaigns off Charleston as a civilian boat pilot and eventually became the first black captain of an Army ship. In a particularly poignant moment Smalls even bought the home that he and his mother had once served in as house slaves.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003eBe Free or Die\u003c\/i\u003e is a compelling narrative that illuminates Robert Smalls' amazing journey from slave to Union hero and ultimately United States Congressman. This captivating tale of a valuable figure in American history gives fascinating insight into the country's first efforts to help newly freed slaves while also illustrating the many struggles and achievements of African Americans during the Civil War.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eTable of Contents\u003c\/strong\u003e:\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePrologue\u003cbr\u003e1: The Escape\u003cbr\u003e2: South Carolina's Son\u003cbr\u003e3: In the Service of the Confederacy\u003cbr\u003e4: Union Hero\u003cbr\u003e5: Our Country Calls\u003cbr\u003e6: North and South\u003cbr\u003e7: The \u003ci\u003eKeokuk\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e8: Captain Smalls\u003cbr\u003e9: The City of Brotherly Love\u003cbr\u003e10: Triumph and Tragedy\u003cbr\u003e11: Retaliation and Reward\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCATE LINEBERRY \u003c\/strong\u003eis a journalist and the author of \u003ci\u003eThe Secret Rescue, \u003c\/i\u003ea #1 \u003ci\u003eWall Street Journal\u003c\/i\u003e e-book bestseller and a finalist for the Edgar and Anthony Awards. \u003ci\u003e \u003c\/i\u003eLineberry was previously a staff writer and editor for \u003ci\u003eNational Geographic Magazine\u003c\/i\u003e and the web editor for \u003ci\u003eSmithsonian Magazine\u003c\/i\u003e. Her work has also appeared in the \u003ci\u003eNew York Times\u003c\/i\u003e. Lineberry lives in Raleigh, NC.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Macmillan","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46053752438970,"sku":"9781250183897","price":20.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0444\/2213\/5968\/files\/imageloader_85ccf40f-9d89-4f4c-b798-91991058d68a.jpg?v=1782489555","url":"https:\/\/naturenurture.shop\/products\/be-free-or-die-the-amazing-story-of-robert-smalls-escape-from-slavery-to-union-hero","provider":"nature+nurture","version":"1.0","type":"link"}