What did the Wilmot Proviso propose?

• A. To ban slavery in any territory acquired from Mexico
• B. To expand slavery into new territories
• C. To regulate slavery within existing states
• D. To end the federal government

Answer: (A)

The Wilmot Proviso was about whether newly acquired lands from Mexico would allow slavery. It proposed banning slavery in any territory seized from Mexico after the Mexican-American War, effectively making those lands free soil. This reflected Northern opposition to extending slavery into new territories and highlighted the sectional clash over how to handle slavery’s expansion. It wasn’t about regulating slavery in existing states, ending the federal government, or expanding slavery. Although it didn’t become law, the proviso helped sharpen the debate over the future of slavery in new territories and set the stage for future compromises.