The Wilmot Proviso - Key Points from the Lecture

Context

• Manifest Destiny: A period in American history marked by westward expansion.
• President James Polk: Requested a $2 million appropriation to acquire territory from Mexico after the Mexican-American War.

Economic and Social Background

• Northern vs. Southern States:
  • Northern states: Relied on free labor, industry, and manufacturing.
  • Southern states: Dependent on slave labor for crops like tobacco and cotton.
• National Divide: Economic differences highlighted the issue of slavery, conflicting with the nation's founding principle that "all men are created equal."

David Wilmot and the Free Soil Movement

• David Wilmot: Pennsylvania Congressman, part of the Free Soil movement within the Democratic Party.
• Free Soil Movement: Focused on limiting the spread of slavery to protect economic opportunities for white working-class Americans.

The Wilmot Proviso

• Introduction: On August 8, 1846, Wilmot introduced his proviso in the House of Representatives.
• Content: Proposed to prohibit slavery in territories acquired from Mexico, effectively canceling the Missouri Compromise of 1820 by barring slavery west of the Mississippi River below the 36½ parallel.

Legislative Attempts

• First Attempt (1846): Passed in the House, failed in the Senate.
• Second Attempt (February 1847): Passed in the House, failed in the Senate.
• Third Attempt (1848): As part of the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, failed again.

Impact and Legacy

• Congressional Debate: The Wilmot Proviso's repeated failures increased sectional divides between free and slave states.
• Compromise of 1850: Along with the Wilmot Proviso, it delayed national discord over slavery.
• Civil War Prelude: The Proviso's importance as a turning point was highlighted by escalating tensions, leading to the Civil War beginning on April 12, 1861, with the attack on Fort Sumter.

Conclusion

• The Wilmot Proviso's repeated introduction and failure underscore its significance in American history as a catalyst for the debate over slavery, leading to a decade of tension that culminated in the Civil War.

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