Enrollment Act

Enrollment Act

Long title	An Act for enrolling and calling out the national Forces, and for other Purposes
Nicknames	Civil War Military Draft Act
Enacted by	the 37th United States Congress
Effective	March 3, 1863
Citations
Statutes at Large	12 Stat. 731
Legislative history
Introduced in the Senate as S. 511 Passed the Senate on February 16, 1863 (13-24) Passed the House on February 23, 1863 (61-60) with amendment House agreed to House amendment on February 25, 1863 (115-49) with further amendment Senate agreed to House amendment on February 28, 1863 (11-35) Signed into law by President Abraham Lincoln on March 3, 1863
Major amendments
Enrollment Act of 1864 (13 Stat. 6) Enrollment Act of 1865 (13 Stat. 487)

The Enrollment Act of 1863 (12 Stat. 731, enacted March 3, 1863) also known as the Civil War Military Draft Act,^[1] was an Act passed by the United States Congress during the American Civil War to provide fresh manpower for the Union Army. The Act was the first genuine national conscription law. The law required the enrollment of every male citizen and those immigrants (aliens) who had filed for citizenship, between 20 and 45 years of age, unless exempted by the Act. The Act replaced the Militia Act of 1862.

It set up under the Union Army an elaborate machine for enrolling and drafting men for conscription. Quotas were assigned in each state, and each congressional district, with deficiencies in volunteers being met by conscription.

In several cities, including New York City, enforcement of the act sparked civil unrest as the war dragged on, leading to the New York City draft riots on July 13–16, 1863.