What was Wilmot proviso and why was it significant - Essay Example

Wilmot Proviso and why was it significant In 1846, this bill was amendment before the United s House of representatives during the Mexican War. The bill stated “that as an express and fundamental condition to acquisition of any territory in the Republic of Mexico…neither slavery nor involuntary servitude shall ever exist in any part of the said territory” . Despite having the majority votes in the house Wilmot Proviso failed at the senate level due to more Southerners who were against the amendment.

Wilmot Proviso brought conflict among the between North America and Southerners who wanted to bring in the slaves they had acquired. In spite of the opposition the bill was enacted and this led to some democrats pulling off from the party due to their disagreement.Through the Wilmot Proviso endorsement the Liberty party joined hands with President Martin and together they came up with A Free Soil party which was in support of the Wilmot Proviso bill. In the 1848 elections, the Wilmot Proviso’s terms were a definite challenge to proslavery groups; they were hence ignored by the Whig and Democratic parties but adopted by then Free-Soil party, which later became the Republican Party.

They favored excluding slavery from new territories .It was through the bill that the currency was formed. The bill stated a provision of two million dollars ($2milllion) for the Mexican war. This led to the creation of the green paper which was used as a legal tender . For many years, arguments in support of and in opposition to slavery were debated in both churches and newspapers. The House of Representatives passed a rule threatening the discussion of slavery but this issue could no longer be avoided.

Lawmakers in both the Senate and the House, the north and south, had to stand up and be counted.Work citedRemini, Vincent Remini. A Short History of the United States. New York: HarperCollins Publishers, 2008. Print.