After 148 years, Mississippi finally ratifies 13th Amendment, which banned slavery

CBS ^ | February 18, 2013

[JerseyanExile]

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-Ledger reports.

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.

[Have Ruck - Will Travel]

Same goes for me. I was raised so far back off in the sticks in deep south Mississippi that we had to pipe in sunshine and I can’t remember many problems between blacks and whites.

I grew up in a little town that was about 80% black and we all got along just fine. There were some rich folks in town, but most of our parents were just poor working folk trying to make ends meet. And my mamma would have beat me just as raw for not being polite and respectful to a black man or woman as if it was a white man or woman. It just wasn’t done. Everybody knew everybody there and we didn’t tolerate that kind of mess.

Maybe it is just the innocent memories of a child, but I remember us getting along just fine down home.

[Tea Party Terrorist]

Curses on the ancestors of those who first brought slaves to the New World.

[castlegreyskull]

This brings up a unique teenage memory from the 1990s. Michael Moore was on HBO and did a “TV Nation” on this very subject, and I watched it when I was 16 or so. It was in Alabama or Mississipi, and he even had slaves to prove a point like the jerk he is. He was fat then but it was at least 100lbs ago.

[SuziQ]

So they ratified it back in 1995. Doesn’t sound like last month to me.

[onyx]

Better late than never ping, I guess

Bump.

[Red Badger]

You ALWAYS referred to an adult, no matter the color, as MR. or MRS. Smith, etc.........

[Scoutmaster]

I remember us getting along just fine down home.

James Meredith's experience was different than your memories, as were the experiences of James Earl Chaney, Andrew Goodman, and Michael “Mickey” Schwerner.

[Have Ruck - Will Travel]

Gee, I’m sorry but I refuse to take the blame for the actions of others that I did not encourage nor condone. I merely wrote about the town I grew up in and the way I was raised.

I really don’t care about your opinion of my home state or my town. You’ve probably never been there and for that we are thankful. However, passing your ignorance off as the opinions of a real Scoutmaster is a bit offensive. Your actions bring discredit upon you and the BSA. But, that was probably your intention in choosing that screen name in the first place.

[Scoutmaster]

I apologize if you were only talking about your hometown. In recent threads we’ve had others talking about Mississippi in general, a state I’ve visited often and with which I’m quite familiar.

[Have Ruck - Will Travel]

Thank you, I accept your apology.

However, know that Mississippi IS my home and I am very proud of her. The state hasn’t always been right, her people haven’t always been right, but it is a great place nonetheless. No state in the US has a perfect history.

To one degree or another ALL states and all groups of people have been guilty of persecution, murder, debauchery, and slavery whether legalized or just state condoned at one time or another. Judging a state or any other group of people by what has happened in their past is just another liberal way of pushing them down and keeping them in their place. Such is not appropriate in a conservative forum.