the Wilmot Proviso

The Wilmot Proviso was a legislative proposal introduced in 1846 by Congressman David Wilmot, aiming to ban slavery in any territory acquired from Mexico during the U.S.-Mexican War. It sought to limit the expansion of slavery into new western lands. Although it never passed in Congress, the proviso ignited intense debates between pro-slavery and anti-slavery factions, highlighting the growing sectional tensions in the United States. The controversy surrounding the Wilmot Proviso contributed to the rising conflict that eventually led to the Civil War. It symbolized the struggle over the future of slavery in America.