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.
In general, the amount of punitive damages cannot exceed four times the amount of compensatory damages that are awarded to a plaintiff. For instance, if a plaintiff is awarded $50,000 in compensatory damages, the court would not typically award him more than $200,000 in punitive damages, unless special circumstances existed.