It took 148 years, but Mississippi has finally ratified a state amendment banning slavery.
The state Legislature first ratifed the 13th Amendment in 1995, the Clarion-Ledger reported.
More from GlobalPost: Obama roots traced to first slave in US
But the state never sent the ratification to the U.S. Archivist, so it was never formally recorded -- and therefore not officially recognized -- until just recently.
Turns out, the state has Steven Spielberg's movie "Lincoln" to thank.
Several Mississippians brought the clerical error to light after watching the movie, which depicts the political fight to pass the 13th Amendment, The Associated Press reported.
More from GlobalPost: Arkansas legislator says slavery may 'have been a blessing'
They contacted Mississippi Secretary of State Delbert Hosemann, who sent a copy of the 1995 resolution to the Office of the Federal Register.
On Feb. 7, the Federal Register made the ratification official, according to CBS News.
"What an amendment to have an error in filing," Dick Molpus, who served as secretary of state in 1995, told the Clarion-Ledger.
http://www.globalpost.com/dispatch/news/regions/americas/united-states/130218/mississippi-slavery-ban-passes-legislature
No comments:
Post a Comment