Robert Smalls stood at the Planter's wheel. Only seven miles of water lay between the ship and the Union blockade. For Robert, his family, and his crewmates, reaching the blockade would mean a chance at freedom. Growing up a slave in South Carolina, Robert Smalls had always dreamed of the moment freedom would be within his grasp. Now it was here, and all the lives aboard the Planter were in Robert's hands. With precision and daring, he would have to navigate past the forts ahead and steer the ship to the safety of the Union fleet. Just one miscalculation could be deadly, but for Robert and the others it was a risk worth taking. Seven Miles to Freedom is a compelling account of the daring escape of Robert Smalls, a slave steamboat wheelman who would become one of the Civil War's greatest heroes and serve five terms in Congress. His steadfast courage in the face of adversity serves a model for all who must overcome the seemingly insurmountable.