Legal Definitions - manumit

Manumit (verb)

To manumit means to formally release an enslaved person from bondage, thereby granting them legal freedom. It refers specifically to the act by which an enslaver or a governing authority confers freedom upon an individual or a group who were previously enslaved.

• Example 1: In the early 19th century, a wealthy landowner in the Caribbean decided to manumit all the enslaved people on his sugar plantation as part of his estate planning, stipulating in his will that they would be free upon his death.

  Explanation: This illustrates the term as a deliberate, legal act by an enslaver to grant freedom, often documented in a will or other legal instrument, taking effect at a specified time.

• Example 2: An enslaved blacksmith, having saved money earned from working extra hours, was able to purchase his own freedom from his owner. The legal paperwork and ceremony that formalized his release from slavery constituted the act of manumitting him.

  Explanation: Here, the term describes the formal process by which an enslaved person gains legal freedom, even if they had to buy their own liberty, requiring the enslaver's consent and legal action.

• Example 3: Following a major military victory during a historical conflict, the conquering general issued a decree stating that all enslaved people in the newly occupied territories were immediately manumitted, effectively abolishing slavery in those regions by official command.

  Explanation: This example demonstrates how a powerful authority, such as a military leader or government, can perform the act of manumitting, granting freedom to a large population through a formal declaration or law.