Senator David Wilmot

David Wilmot served as a Senator from Pennsylvania in the United States Congress from 1845 to 1863. A member of the Republican Party, David Wilmot contributed to the legislative process during 4 terms in office.

David Wilmot’s service in Congress occurred during a significant period in American history. As a member of the Senate, David Wilmot participated in the democratic process and represented the interests of constituents.

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.