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After 148 years, Mississippi finally ratifies 13th Amendment, which banned slavery
The 13th Amendment to the Constitution, which abolished slavery, was ratified in 1865. Lawmakers in Mississippi, however, only got around to officially ratifying the amendment last month -- 148 years later -- thanks to the movie "Lincoln."
The state's historical oversight came to light after Mississippi resident Ranjan Batra saw the Steven Spielberg-directed film last November, the Clarion-Ledgerreports.
After watching the film, which depicts the political fight to pass the 13th Amendment, Batra did some research. He learned that the amendment was ratified after three-fourths of the states backed it in December 1865. Four remaining states all eventually ratified the amendment -- except for Mississippi. Mississippi voted to ratify the amendment in 1995 but failed to make it official by notifying the U.S. Archivist.
Batra spoke to another Mississippi resident, Ken Sullivan, who contacted Mississippi Secretary of State Delbert Hosemann about the oversight. Finally, on Jan. 30, Hosemann sent the Office of the Federal Register a copy of the 1995 resolution, and on Feb. 7, the Federal Register made the ratification official.
According to the Clarion-Ledger, it's unclear why the state never sent the U.S. Archivist its 1995 resolution. "What an amendment to have an error in filing," Dick Molpus, who served then as secretary of state, told the paper.
Wait.. So, technically Mississippi just now abolished slavery in their state?
ReplyDeleteI don't think that it should have took 148 years to ban slavery in Mississppi, they should have done this a while ago.
ReplyDeleteMan..I had no idea it took them a long time to do that. I wonder what took them a long time to ban slavery.
ReplyDeleteI think that they should have ratified it a while ago instead of waiting 148 years later to ratify it. Why did it take so long?
ReplyDeleteI think it took them too long to figure something like this out. I was shocked and I had no idea. I don't think they can forget something like this. It's too important and huge. They muct have ignored it but knew it was there.
ReplyDeleteI can't belive it took this long
ReplyDeletei feel like this is sad slavery was ratified in 1865 in the united states and mississippi is just now ratifing it in 2013 148 years later .To me it doesnt matter whether it effects me now but it does matter to me if effects me later on down the road . i believe that even if they didnt outspokenly practice slavery or had held slaves it's sad and makes you wonder about mississippi as a state in 2013.
ReplyDeletei know its a big deal to some that this was finally ratified, but as far as i know, and i could be wrong, but i don't think the people in Mississippi had slaves all the way up to this point. Even without the amendment actually being ratified, i think people had an understanding of how wrong it is and how slavery is not acceptable in the U.S. But i guess it is a good thing to have it officially done and in writing.
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