Emancipation
Definition
The act or process of being set free from legal, social or political restrictions; liberation. In U.S history context it often refers to the emancipation of slaves during Civil War through Emancipation Proclamation issued by President Abraham Lincoln.
Analogy
Imagine you're grounded because you broke your parents' rules. But then one day they decide that you've learned your lesson and they lift your punishment - that's kind of what emancipation is like. It's about being released from some form of control or restriction.
Related terms
Abolitionism: The movement in opposition to slavery often demanding immediate uncompensated end to slavery.
Emancipation Proclamation: An executive order issued by President Abraham Lincoln on January 1st 1863, declaring that all enslaved persons in the Confederate States of America were to be set free.
13th Amendment: The amendment to the U.S. Constitution that abolished slavery and involuntary servitude.
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