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.
Where awarded, they are an exception to the rule that damages are to compensate not to punish. The exact threshold of punitive damages varies from jurisdiction to jurisdiction.