13th Amendment: the sequel.

• Position: The Constitution - Brief article

Steven Spielberg's movie Lincoln has garnered both praise and criticism (see p. 10). It's also had a role in correcting a historical footnote involving the 13th Amendment, which abolished slavery. The film revolves around President Lincoln's push for the 13th's passage. It took effect in 1865 after Congress and the required three fourths of state legislatures approved it. In 1995, Mississippi became the last state to sign on. But after watching Lincoln, Ranjan Batra, a biology professor at the University of...