Manumission and emancipation are both terms related to the freeing of individuals from slavery, but they have distinct meanings and contexts.
Manumission refers to the act of a slave owner voluntarily freeing their slaves. This was often done through a legal process, and the freed individual was known as a freedman or freedwoman. Manumission could be granted for various reasons, such as recognition of service, personal relationships, or moral convictions.
Emancipation, on the other hand, is a broader term that refers to the liberation of a group of people from slavery or other forms of oppression. It is often associated with government actions or legal decrees that abolish slavery. For example, the Emancipation Proclamation issued by President Abraham Lincoln in 1863 declared the freedom of all enslaved people in Confederate states during the American Civil War.
In summary, manumission is the individual act of freeing a slave by their owner, while emancipation is the collective liberation of a group of people from slavery, typically through legal or governmental means.