An emancipist was any of the convicts sentenced and transported under the convict system to Australia, who had been given conditional or absolute pardons. The term was also used to refer to those convicts whose sentences had expired, and could also be used of free settlers who supported full civil rights for emancipated convicts. An emancipist was...
• (n.) A freed convict.
any of the former convicts in New South Wales, Australia, in the late 18th and the first half of the 19th centuries, specifically those who were ... [5 related articles]
E·man'ci·pist noun A freed convict. [ Australia]