After escaping slavery in Louisiana and joining the Union Army, Peter (played by Will Smith) participates in a pivotal battle against Confederate forces. During the battle, Peter spots his former enslaver, Fassel, who had relentlessly pursued him through the swamps during his escape. Peter shoots and kills Fassel, achieving vengeance against the man who had brutally whipped him. With the Confederate forces defeated, Peter and the Union soldiers ride through nearby plantations, announcing that all slaves have been freed per the Emancipation Proclamation. As the slaves emerge, Peter searches the crowds, finally reuniting with his wife Dodienne and their children, from whom he had been separated during his escape. The family embraces, overjoyed to be free and back together after their harrowing ordeal. Peter had risked his life to secure freedom not just for himself but for all slaves. As his family walks off together, he drops his gun, suggesting he may leave his violent past behind and start a new free life with his loved ones. The ending provides an uplifting conclusion to Peter’s courageous journey, though it acknowledges the countless other slaves still seeking their own emancipation.