Summary of Cate Lineberry's Be Free or Die

Please note: This is a companion version & not the original book. Sample Book Insights: #1 Robert Smalls was a enslaved man who was planning on escaping slavery with his family. He had been planning this for years, and his chance came when he was assigned to the Planter, a Confederate steamer. #2 The Planter was a coastal steamer used to transport personnel, ordinance, and supplies between various locations in and around the harbor. It was docked at Charleston’s Southern Wharf, near where the Cooper and Ashley rivers converge to form Charleston Harbor. #3 The Planter was a Confederate steamer that was used to transport supplies and slaves. It was used in an attempt to break the blockade, and it was extremely risky. Smalls had to impersonate the captain and navigate past several heavily armed fortifications without raising an alarm. #4 The Planter was a Confederate steamer that was built two years earlier. She was made of live oaks and red cedar, and had three decks. The steamer’s navigation was controlled from the pilothouse, and a single large smokestack emerged from the top deck in front of the pilothouse.