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.
Definition of Compensatory Damages. Noun. An award of money in compensation for actual economic loss, property damage, or injury, not including punitive damages. Types of Damages. In civil lawsuits, damages are classified as either âcompensatoryâ or âpunitive.â