Final answer:
The Wilmot Proviso was a proposed amendment to ban slavery in territories acquired from Mexico, aiming to prevent its expansion to protect free labor. It passed in the House but failed in the Senate, reflecting the sectional dispute that contributed to the Civil War.
Step-by-step explanation:
What Did the Wilmot Proviso Seek to Ban?
The Wilmot Proviso was an amendment proposed by Congressman David Wilmot in 1846, with the intention of banning the expansion of slavery into the territories gained from Mexico following the Mexican-American War. The proviso aimed to ensure that these new lands would be free territories, not states in which slavery was permitted. This was a crucial period in American history as it highlighted the growing sectional disputes between the North and the South. While the Wilmot Proviso passed in the House of Representatives with bipartisan support, it failed in the Senate, reflecting the division between northern and southern states.
Supporters of the proviso, including the Free-Soil Party, argued that the expansion of slavery would demean free labor and reduce economic opportunities for white workers and small farmers in the West. They believed that slavery should not extend to new territories, although they did not necessarily advocate for its abolition where it already existed. Conversely, southern supporters of slavery viewed the prohibition of its expansion as an infringement upon their rights and as a direct attack on their way of life. This conflict over the morality and expansion of slavery led to intensified sectional tension, which was a significant factor leading to the American Civil War.