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    Manumission, also known as enfranchisement, is the act of freeing enslaved people by their enslavers. This process has been practiced in various societies throughout history, with different approaches developed specific to the time and place of each society. In contrast to emancipation, which refers to the broader liberation of groups from various forms of oppression, manumission specifically refers to the legal act of freeing individual slaves by their owners. Manumission has played a significant role in the lives of many individuals and families, and understanding its historical context can provide valuable insights for those researching their family history.

    Origins of Manumission

    Iconic anti-slavery image of slave in shackles (1875 illustration)

    Manumission has existed for over 3,000 years, with examples found in both contracts and laws from ancient cultures such as Greece and Rome, as well as in American culture starting in the late seventeenth century[1]. In ancient Greece, slaves were able to purchase their freedom if they had access to the needed funds[2]. In ancient Rome, a slave who had been manumitted was considered a libertus (feminine liberta) and a citizen[3]. Manumissions were taxed in Rome, and the process involved the master bringing the slave before a magistrate and declaring the grounds for manumission[4].

    During the period of American slavery from the 1600s to 1865, manumission was one of the main avenues available for a slave to obtain his or her freedom[5]. This legal or formal release from bondage was one of the most employed methods available to free African Americans within the American judicial system. However, after the invention of the cotton gin in 1793, which led to increased demand for slave labor, the number of manumissions decreased[6]. In the nineteenth century, slave revolts such as the Haitian Revolution and Nat Turner's rebellion increased slaveholders' fears, leading most Southern states to pass laws making manumission nearly impossible until the passage of the Thirteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution in 1865.[5]

    Manumission in family history research

    Petition for Freedom of the diarist Michael Shiner dated 26 March 1836. Shiner with the help of friends, made this motion to compel Ann Howard and Thomas E. Howard, executors to comply with manumission provisions of Thomas E. Howard's last will and testament. District of Columbia Courts, 1836.

    Understanding the historical context of manumission can provide valuable insights for those researching their family history. Manumission records, such as freedom papers, manumission documents, and emancipation records, can be important sources of information for genealogists and family historians. These records often contain details about the enslaved person's life, including their name, age, physical description, and sometimes information about their family members.

    Freedom papers were legal affidavits that proved the free status of a person and served to protect them from slave catchers and kidnappers[7]. Manumissions and emancipations were legally binding records that formalized the act of granting freedom to individuals of African descent who were enslaved, either by a living slaveholder or by the estate of a deceased slaveholder.[7]. These records can be found in various repositories, such as deed books, court records, and other historical archives.

    In addition to manumission records, other types of historical records can provide information about the lives of enslaved individuals and their families. For example, wills and probate records may contain information about enslaved people who were bequeathed to heirs or freed upon the death of their enslaver[8]. Census records can also provide valuable information about the lives of enslaved individuals and their families, as they often listed enslaved people by name and provided details about their age, sex, and occupation.[8]

    Impact of Manumission on society

    Manuscript by Thomas Pleasants, Jr., freeing the people he had enslaved. 1781.

    Manumission had a significant impact on society, both for the individuals who were freed and for the broader community. For those who gained their freedom, manumission often meant the opportunity to start a new life, own property, and raise a family without the constraints of slavery[9]. However, even after gaining their freedom, many formerly enslaved individuals faced ongoing challenges, such as discrimination, limited rights, and the possibility of being re-enslaved[10].

    Manumission also had broader societal implications. By acknowledging the impermanence of the institution of slavery and empowering slaveholders to determine when and how one's enslavement might end, manumission served to strengthen the institution of slavery itself[11]. At least in theory, enslaved people could acquire freedom in a slaveholding regime, even if only at the mercy of their owners.

    See also

    Explore more about Manumission

    References

    1. ↑ Manumission Overview, History & Laws. (2022, July 7).
    2. ↑ Examples of Manumission Throughout History.
    3. ↑ Beard & Crawford (1999) [1985]. Rome in the Late Republic. London: Duckworth. pp. 41, 48. ISBN 978-0715629284.
    4. ↑ Zelnick-Abramovitz, Rachel (2013-09-05). Taxing Freedom in Thessalian Manumission Inscriptions. Brill. ISBN 978-90-04-25662-0.
    5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 Manumission. Encyclopedia.com
    6. ↑ Dresser, Amos (1836). "Slavery in Florida"The narrative of Amos Dresser: with Stone's letters from Natchez, an obituary notice of the writer, and two letters from Tallahassee, relating to the treatment of slaves. New-York: American Anti-Slavery Society. p. 41.
    7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 What is in the slave papers?. Free at last? Slavery in Pittsburgh. University of Pittsburgh
    8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 Federal Records that Help Identify Former Enslaved People and Slave Holders. National Archives
    9. ↑ Buying Freedom. Emancipation. National Humanities Center
    10. ↑ McKinley, Fractional Freedoms, p. 145
    11. ↑ Peraza, Steve. Slave Manumission in the Atlantic World (Topical Guide). SUNY-Buffalo State College


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