Robert Smalls: The Confederate Ship Heist

Robert Smalls wasn’t just a man—he was a one-man revolution. Smalls was slave who stole a Confederate warship, sailed his way to freedom, and then went back to kick the Confederacy’s ass. Born into slavery, Smalls pulled off one of the greatest heists in American history, disguising himself as a Confederate captain and delivering a stolen ship to the Union. But he didn’t stop there—he went on to become a Union naval officer, a U.S. Congressman, and a major force in Reconstruction. In this episode Ben and Producer Andrew Jacobs tell the story of a man who refused to be anyone’s prisoner and made history on his own terms.

Om Podcasten

Throughout the course of human civilization certain individuals have stood out as being completely f***ing awesome. From ninjas and gunfighters to pirates and Vikings, to explorers, scientists and great leaders, these people - true badasses - completely obliterated anything that stood in their path, routinely overcame seemingly insurmountable obstacles, and ultimately altered the course of history through their actions. Be it glory, conquest, or survival, these hardcore men and women all had one specific goal in life - and they didn’t let anything stand between themselves and their mission. They refused to back down even when the odds seemed hopelessly stacked against them, they came back from the brink of failure to achieve ultimate success, and they beat the fucking hell out of anyone stupid enough to have stood in their way. Badass of the Week is a weekly (duh) podcast, that dives into new stories of badasses every week.