Final answer:
The Wilmot Proviso, a proposed law to ban slavery in newly acquired territories, contributed to the growing divide between the North and the South and set the stage for future conflicts. Although it did not directly cause the Civil War, it heightened tensions and made compromise difficult.
Step-by-step explanation:
The Wilmot Proviso was a proposed law that sought to ban slavery in any territory obtained as a result of the Mexican-American War. It was introduced by Democrat David Wilmot in 1846. The Proviso sparked intense debate between the North and the South over the expansion of slavery into new territories.
The Proviso raised the issue of slavery in national politics, leading to increased tensions between the pro-slavery South and the anti-slavery North. While it did not directly cause the Civil War, it contributed to the growing divide between the North and the South, ultimately making compromise difficult and exacerbating sectional rivalries. The failure of the Wilmot Proviso to pass highlighted the deep divisions over slavery in the United States and set the stage for future conflicts, including the Compromise of 1850 and the Kansas-Nebraska Act, which further escalated tensions and ultimately led to the outbreak of the Civil War.