Question

In 1846, during the Mexican War, a Democratic congressman from Pennsylvania, David Wilmot, introduced a bill in congress that prohibited slavery in lands acquired from Mexico?

Answer 1

The Wilmot Proviso, introduced in 1846 by Congressman David Wilmot, aimed to ban slavery in territories obtained from Mexico, passing the House but failing in the Senate. This legislative action intensified the national debate on slavery, contributing to the sectional divide that preceded the Civil War.

Step-by-step explanation:

The Wilmot Proviso

In 1846, David Wilmot, a Democratic congressman from Pennsylvania, sought to address the controversial issue of slavery in the United States. He introduced an amendment known as the Wilmot Proviso, which proposed to prohibit slavery in any territory acquired from Mexico following the Mexican-American War. While this measure passed the House of Representatives, it repeatedly failed in the Senate, with voting often breaking down along sectional rather than party lines. The Proviso led to a heated debate over slavery in new territories and was indicative of the increasing tensions between the North and the South, which were predominantly anti-slavery and pro-slavery areas respectively.

This legislative action by Wilmot was a clear attempt to prevent the expansion of slavery into the west, mirroring earlier legislative measures such as the 1787 Northwest Ordinance. Despite failing to become law, the Wilmot Proviso significantly contributed to reinvigorating national political discourse about slavery, further exacerbating sectional divisions and setting the stage for future conflicts leading up to the Civil War.