Discuss the role of the Wilmot Proviso in escalating tensions between the North and South in the years following 1844.
Instructor solution
The Wilmot Proviso, introduced in 1846, aimed to ban slavery in any territory acquired from Mexico. Although it never passed, it fueled sectional tensions by highlighting the North's opposition to the expansion of slavery. The South viewed the Proviso as a direct threat to its economic and political power, deepening the divide between the two regions. This conflict over the Proviso set the stage for future confrontations, including the Compromise of 1850 and the Kansas-Nebraska Act.
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What was the primary aim of the Wilmot Proviso?
- A.
To ban slavery in any territory acquired from Mexico.
- B.
To allow slavery in all new territories.
- C.
To resolve the issue of slavery permanently.
- D.
To support the annexation of Texas.
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