What was one goal of the Wilmot Proviso?

One goal of the Wilmot Proviso, introduced in 1846 by Congressman David Wilmot, was to ban slavery in any territory acquired from Mexico following the Mexican-American War. The proviso aimed to prevent the expansion of slavery into the newly acquired lands, reflecting the growing sectional tensions between free and slave states. While it ultimately failed to pass in Congress, it intensified the debate over slavery and contributed to the emergence of the Free Soil movement.