WILMOT PROVISO


Meaning of WILMOT PROVISO in English

(1846) Proposal in the U.S. Congress to prohibit the extension of slavery to the territories.

Offered by Rep. David Wilmot (1814–68) as an amendment to a bill that purchased territory from Mexico, it prohibited slavery in the new territory. The proviso provoked a national debate that reflected the growing sectional discord between North and South. Despite repeated attempts, the Wilmot Proviso was never passed by both houses of Congress. Nevertheless, the principle became a basic tenet of the Republican Party .

Britannica Concise Encyclopedia.      Краткая энциклопедия Британика.