Conscription Act

“Both the Union and the Confederacy mobilized their economies and societies to wage the war even while facing considerable home front opposition.” When the Union needed more troops to fight the war, Congress approved the first ever military draft through the Conscription Act of 1863.

Source 1

A persistent challenge during the Civil War was the low number of men volunteering to serve in the Union army. Senator Henry Wilson, chairman of the Committee on Military Affairs, sponsored the Conscription Act of 1863, which established the first national draft system and required registration by every male citizen and immigrant who had applied for citizenship between the ages of 20 and 45. The New York Times called the Conscription Act “the condition of victory,” but many people criticized the law because it provided an exemption for those who could pay a $300 fee. Some critics argued that the law punished the poor, while others insisted that it interfered with states’ rights, since state-based militias had fought in previous wars. However, even with such conscription laws, both the Union and Confederate armies continued to rely mostly upon volunteers.

Conscription Act of 1863. United States Senate.

Question 1

Short answer

Explain why the act was considered the “condition of victory.”

Question 2

Short answer

Explain at least one part of the law that was criticized.

Question 3

Short answer

In the New York City Draft Riots of July 1863, African Americans became the target of violence. Explain who was targeting them and why.

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