David Wilmot | |
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Judge of the United States 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 | Bethany, Pennsylvania, U.S. | January 20, 1814
Died | March 16, 1868 Towanda, Pennsylvania, U.S. | (aged 54)
Resting place | Riverside Cemetery Towanda, Pennsylvania |
Political party | Democratic (until 1848) Free Soil (from 1848) Republican (from 1854) |
Spouse | Anna Morgan |
Children | 3 |
Signature | |
David Wilmot (January 20, 1814 – March 16, 1868) was an American politician and judge. He served as Representative and a Senator for Pennsylvania 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 proposal to ban the expansion of slavery to western lands 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 Republican Party in Pennsylvania.