James Polk

In the election of 1848, the Wilmot Proviso was ignored by both the Whig and Democratic parties, but adopted by the Free-Soil Party. Later the Republican party also favored excluding slavery from the new territories.
             C. The Walker Tariff. Introduced by Robert J. Walker, a former Democratic senator from Mississippi, this tariff measure in 1846, would bring about a moderate lowering of many rates. Representatives from Northern manufacturing states found they were outvoted: Westerners had deserted protectionism in the hope of opening foreign markets to purchase their grains and other products. The tariff was a success from two vantage points. First, trade was stimulated and brought needed revenue to the Treasury. Second, relations with Britain, which recently had been severely strained over the Oregon question, improved markedly with a flourishing trade between the two nations. Robert Walker is regarded as one of the most talented individuals to ever hold the position of secretary of the Treasury.
             D. Gold discovered in California. In January of 1848, James Marshall had a work crew camped on the American River at Coloma, near Sacramento. The crew was building a saw mill for John Sutter. On January 24th, Marshall found a few tiny gold nuggets. Thus began one of the largest human migrations in history as half a million people from around the world descended upon California in search of instant wealth.
             E. The Free Soil Party was organized. In 1848, former Liberty Party and Northern Abolitionist members of the Whig Party joined together and formed the Free Soil Party. They hoped to outlaw slavery in the lands attained from Mexico. Although some said they were more interested in "keeping the soil free and not for setting men free," they did manage to elect 14 congressmen and 2 senators. It later evolved into the Free Democratic Party.