William Wilmot was an American politician and lawyer, best known for his role in the Wilmot Proviso, a proposal aimed at banning slavery in territories acquired from Mexico during the Mexican-American War. Born in 1814 in Pennsylvania, he served as a member of the U.S. House of Representatives from 1845 to 1851 and again from 1853 to 1855. Wilmot's efforts to limit the expansion of slavery contributed to the growing tensions between the North and South in the United States. Although the Wilmot Proviso was never passed, it played a significant role in shaping the political landscape leading up to the Civil War.