Robert Smalls was born into slavery in South Carolina and was hired out to work on steamboats as a youth.

a. True

b. False

True, Robert Smalls was born into slavery in South Carolina and was hired out to work on steamboats as a youth. He was born an African-American slave, and during and after the Civil War became a ship's pilot, sea captain, as well as a politician. He freed himself, his family and other slaves and convinced Lincoln to let African-American soldiers fight during the war.