Draft Timeline
Periods of Compulsory U.S. Military Enrollment
1863 — Congress passed the Union Conscription Act, making all able-bodied males between the ages of 20 and 45 eligible for the draft. The law allowed draftees to avoid military service by hiring a substitute or paying a commutation fee of $300. It was seen as unfair to the poor, and protest riots occured in working-class sections of New York City. 1864 — Congress repealed the commutation provision, but allowed drafted religious pacifists to do alternative service or contribute to a hospital fund. In the North, four Federal drafts produced only a small percentage of total Civil War troops, but…
