Manumission

Manumission, from manumit /ˌmænjəˈmɪt/, is the act of a slave owner freeing his or her slaves. Different approaches developed, each specific to the time and place of a society's slave system.

The motivations of slave owners in manumitting slaves were complex and varied. Firstly, manumission may present itself as a sentimental and benevolent gesture. One typical scenario was the freeing in the master's will of a devoted servant after long years of service. A trusted bailiff might be manumitted as a gesture of gratitude; for those working as agricultural laborers or in workshops, there was little likelihood of being so noticed.

Such feelings of benevolence may have been of value to slave owners themselves as it allowed them to focus on a "humane component" in the human traffic of slavery. In general, it was more common for older slaves to be given freedom, once they had reached the age where they were beginning to be less useful. Legislation under the early Roman Empire put limits on the number of slaves that could be freed in wills (Fufio-Caninian law 2 BC), which suggests that it had been widely used.

Manumission (event)

Manumission was a series of parties held in Ibiza, in the Balearic Islands of Spain. The events were created by Mike and Claire Manumission (or McKay) along with Mike's brother Andy McKay.

Name

The event founders describe Manumission a lifestyle. The word Manumission means "release from slavery" and in the party people were free to do whatever [they wanted] to do.

History

Manumission started in January 1994 in Manchester and moved to the Privilege Nightclub, Ibiza later that year. The events stopped in 2006, and were resumed at a different location in 2007, before finally closing in 2009.

References