I will answer a format of question regarding the book ‘From Slavery to Public Service: Robert Smalls’ in which will also help readers of this website to understand the reading more.

What is the authors purpose?

The author of the autobiography is Okon Edet Uya of the University of Wisconsin. Uya explains in the preface of the book that this autobiography is , ‘a case study for examining the validity of some historical generalizations about Black Reconstruction and its leaders’. The author wants to entertain and educate the matter of Robert Smalls but to not only specifically look at him but through the things the author writes about him develop an understanding about the era of Reconstruction. A study of possible corruption that may have taken place during this time within the leaders of this era.

How does the author achieve the books purpose?

The author breaks down Robert Small’s time as a politician to look deeply into how Black Reconstruction was and how it was to be a leader. The author received a lot of help for research and even visited Beaufort, South Carolina. They invested everything into Robert Smalls and the life he had. I personally believe that yes the author did achieve the purpose of the book. At the end of it I understood Robert Smalls and the life that he led. The only problem would be where the author was coming from when it came to the generalizations of Black Reconstruction. One key detail I would point out was the case in which Robert was convicted of taking a bribe. The author thought that the case was not justice and that it was affected heavily by political agenda.

How significant is the total work?

The significance of Black Reconstruction is huge. It is apart of black history and paved the way for the rights of black men and women of America. Black people right after slavery didn’t know much and reconstruction is what helped them move into society as actual human beings. A story about a politician during this era who also was a hero in the Civil War is interesting but also important to learn about.