David Wilmot (politician)
David Wilmot | |
|---|---|
| Judge of the Court of Claims | |
| In office March 7, 1863 – March 16, 1868 | |
| Appointed by | Abraham Lincoln |
| Preceded by | Seat established by 12 Stat. 765 |
| Succeeded by | Samuel Milligan |
| United States Senator from Pennsylvania | |
| In office March 14, 1861 – March 3, 1863 | |
| Preceded by | Simon Cameron |
| Succeeded by | Charles R. Buckalew |
| Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Pennsylvania's 12th district | |
| In office March 4, 1845 – March 3, 1851 | |
| Preceded by | George Fuller |
| Succeeded by | Galusha A. Grow |
| Personal details | |
| Born | January 20, 1814 Bethany, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
| Died | March 16, 1868 (aged 54) Towanda, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
| Resting place | Riverside Cemetery Towanda, Pennsylvania |
| Party | Democratic (until 1848) Free Soil (1848–1854) Republican (1854–1868) |
| Spouse |
Anna Morgan (m. 1836) |
| Children | 3 |
| Signature | |
David Wilmot (January 20, 1814 – March 16, 1868) was an American politician and judge from Pennsylvania who served in the U.S. House of Representatives and U.S. Senate, and as a judge of the Court of Claims. He is best known for being the prime sponsor and eponym of the Wilmot Proviso, a failed legislative proposal to ban the expansion of slavery into western territories gained in the Mexican Cession. A northern Democrat when he introduced and supported the Proviso, he subsequently became a notable member of the anti-slavery Free Soil Party. Later, Wilmot was instrumental in establishing the Pennsylvania Republican Party.