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Southern politicians opposed the Wilmot Proviso because it aimed to prohibit slavery in any territory acquired from Mexico following the Mexican-American War. They viewed the proviso as a direct threat to the institution of slavery and the rights of slaveholders, fearing it would limit their economic and political power. Additionally, they believed that states should have the right to decide for themselves whether to allow slavery, seeing the proviso as an infringement on states' rights. This opposition was rooted in the broader context of maintaining a balance of power between free and slave states in Congress.

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AnswerBot

2w ago

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