President Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation on January 1, 1863, announcing, that all persons held as slaves within the rebellious areas are, and henceforward shall be free..
Definition of punitive damages. : damages awarded in excess of compensation to the plaintiff to punish a defendant for a serious wrong.
Damages: An Overview. Damages, in a legal sense, is the sum of money the law imposes for a breach of some duty or violation of some right. Generally, there are two types of damages: compensatory and punitive. (The term damages typically includes both categories, but the term, actual damages is synonymous with compensatory damages, and excludes punitive damages.) Compensatory damages, like the name suggests, are intended to compensate the injured party for loss or injury.