The Emancipation Proclamation, issued by Abraham Lincoln on January 1, 1863, ordered that enslaved people living in rebellious territories be released from the bonds of ownership and made free people—their own masters. Though the proclamation's initial impact was limited, the order was true to the etymology of emancipation, which comes from a Latin word combining the prefix e-, meaning "away," and mancipare, meaning "to transfer ownership of.”
a book discussing the role that the emancipation of slaves played in the nation's history
Recent Examples on the WebThe anticipation of Watch Night, designated the eve of emancipation awaiting the news of freedom, did not come as news of freedom did not reach Texas until six months later.—Jessica B. Harris, Southern Living, 13 May 2024 In addition, there’s been a concerted effort to broaden the pursuit with issues of emancipation and enfranchisement and the effects of slavery, giving screen time to Black characters and causes, rather than allowing this to be merely the story of one white man chasing another.—Robert Lloyd, Los Angeles Times, 14 Mar. 2024 Swanson’s book displays little interest in slavery, emancipation, and Reconstruction.—Jill Lepore, The New Yorker, 11 Mar. 2024 These thinkers worried that by embracing ideals of emancipation and continual improvement, liberalism could devolve into totalitarianism.—Helena Rosenblatt, Foreign Affairs, 20 Feb. 2024 They were infuriated that tech companies, abiding by federal law, effectively give kids online emancipation from their parents at the arbitrary and absurdly young age of thirteen and, even then, barely bother with age verification.—Jessica Winter, The New Yorker, 28 Mar. 2024 After chronicling their perilous and frightening 45-day voyage, the author goes on to describe the sale of the 103 survivors of the journey to various enslavers in Alabama, their five years of bondage, and their hardscrabble lives following emancipation.—Barbara Spindel, The Christian Science Monitor, 7 Mar. 2024 Between May 1864 and June 1865, the island was used as a refugee camp for the freed Black people who flocked to Washington following emancipation.—Sue Eisenfeld, Smithsonian Magazine, 7 Feb. 2024 The identity crisis that men have been experiencing in the face of women’s increasing emancipation.—Luba Kassova, Fortune, 8 Mar. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'emancipation.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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