Legal Definitions - manumission

Manumission refers to the formal act by which an enslaver grants freedom to an enslaved person. Historically, this process transformed an individual from a state of legal bondage into a free person, often conferring certain rights and responsibilities within society.

Here are a few examples illustrating manumission:

• Imagine a wealthy plantation owner in the antebellum American South, Mr. Davies, who, moved by a change of heart or religious conviction, decides to free an enslaved family, the Johnsons. He executes a legal document, a deed of manumission, which he files with the local court. This document legally declares the Johnsons to be free individuals, no longer his property, and grants them the right to live independently.

  This example illustrates manumission because Mr. Davies, as the enslaver, takes a deliberate, formal legal action to release the Johnsons from their enslaved status, thereby granting them their freedom.

• Consider a scenario in ancient Rome where a loyal household slave, named Lyra, has served her master, Senator Valerius, faithfully for many years. Upon his death, Senator Valerius's will contains a specific clause stating that Lyra, along with several other enslaved individuals, is to be granted her freedom immediately. The executor of the will ensures that this provision is carried out, and Lyra becomes a freedwoman.

  This example demonstrates manumission because Lyra's freedom is formally bestowed upon her by her enslaver through his last will and testament, a common method for granting freedom in historical contexts.

• Picture a situation in the Caribbean during the 18th century where an enslaved man named Samuel has diligently worked extra hours and saved a small sum of money over many years. With the help of a sympathetic abolitionist, Samuel approaches his owner, Mr. Thompson, and offers to purchase his own freedom. After negotiations, Mr. Thompson agrees to accept the payment in exchange for Samuel's liberty, and a formal agreement is drawn up and witnessed, legally recognizing Samuel as a free man.

  This example showcases manumission because it involves the formal process by which an enslaved individual, Samuel, gains his freedom through an agreement with his enslaver, effectively ending his state of bondage.