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, often called penalties, are civil sanctions. They are âan attempt to measure in financial terms the extent of harm a plaintiff has suffered because of a defendantâs actions.â