Wilmot Proviso
8/8/1846
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Representative David Wilmot introduced this amendment in 1846 during a debate over a bill to fund the Mexican War. It prohibited slavery in any territory acquired from Mexico. Wilmot hoped to use Congress's constitutional power of the purse to prevent the diffusion of slavery during the nation's westward expansion. This amendment passed in the House but failed in the Senate. The Wilmot Proviso was reintroduced several more times in subsequent years, but was never enacted.
This primary source comes from the Records of the U.S. House of Representatives.
National Archives Identifier: 2127333
Full Citation: Wilmot Proviso; 8/8/1846; Records of the U.S. House of Representatives, Record Group 233. [Online Version, https://docsteach.org/documents/document/wilmot-proviso, April 27, 2025]Rights: Public Domain, Free of Known Copyright Restrictions. Learn more on our privacy and legal page.
