"America's only other experience with a draft, during the Civil War, had been violent and insecure.... sixty years later, the world has changed in ways which made a draft both desirable and necessary to many American leaders."
Jeff Hay, Editor of The History of Issues: Military Draft
America’s first involvement with
drafting was during the Civil War. Each Northern community that had not
provided enough voluntary military support was to draft the rest but those who
could provide a legitimate reason or pay three hundred dollars could exempt.
This caused anti-draft riots because the poor felt the exemption guidelines
were unfair. The draft laws expired in 1864 but were renewed during World War I
when the Selective Service Act was enacted on May 17, 1917 to ensure that the
United States will have adequate military protection.
Seventy-two percent of the troops were drafted during WWI. Supporters believed that a draft was inevitable because of modernization and the magnitude of the war. The draft ended by the end of WWI.
Seventy-two percent of the troops were drafted during WWI. Supporters believed that a draft was inevitable because of modernization and the magnitude of the war. The draft ended by the end of WWI.
"The volunteer system, like the stagecoach, served its purpose in primitive times, but like that stagecoach, it proved unequal to the expanding needs of modern time.... [The people] know that the volunteer system has been a failure wherever tried, and seeking efficiency they prefer the selective draft system, just as seeking speed they would prefer a locomotive to an oxcart." --- Henry Watterson, Louisville Couier-Journal, World War I , Draft Supporter |
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Bailey Adolph
Senior Division Webpage
Senior Division Webpage