What was the Wilmot Proviso of 1848?

The Wilmot Proviso was a proposal to prohibit slavery in the territory acquired by the United States at the conclusion of the Mexican War. He attached the proviso to an appropriations bill to pay Mexico for land that the United States had seized as a result of the Mexican War.

What was the Wilmot Proviso explain?

The Wilmot Proviso was designed to eliminate slavery within the land acquired as a result of the Mexican War (1846-48). Soon after the war began, President James K. Polk sought the appropriation of $2 million as part of a bill to negotiate the terms of a treaty.

What effect did the Wilmot Proviso have on the nation?

While only a short episode in American politics, the Wilmot Proviso provides insight into anti-slavery positions among northerners and reopened debates about slavery in the territories which had lasting effects on the larger American political landscape.

What was the Wilmot Proviso and why was it important?

Wilmot Proviso, in U.S. history, important congressional proposal in the 1840s to prohibit the extension of slavery into the territories, a basic plank upon which the Republican Party was subsequently built.

What was the purpose of the Wilmot Proviso of 1846?

The Wilmot Proviso, issued on August 8th, 1846 by Pennsylvania Democratic Congressman David Wilmot, was an amendment to Democratic President James K. Polk’s appropriation bill for the funding of newly acquired territories.

What was the cost of the Wilmot Proviso?

When the next Congress convened, a new appropriations bill for $3 million was presented, but the Wilmot Proviso was again attached to the measure. The House passed the bill, and the Senate was forced to consider the proposal.

How did the Wilmot Proviso fail in the Senate?

It passed the House but failed in the Senate, where the South had greater representation. It was reintroduced in February 1847 and again passed the House and failed in the Senate.

How did the proviso affect the funding bill?

The proviso injected the controversial slavery issue into the funding debate, but the House approved the bill and sent it to the Senate for action. The Senate, however, adjourned before discussing the issue.