| The Civil War was the first American war in which soldiers were drafted. The South was the first to employ the draft, followed by the North. In March of 1863, the National Conscription Act was passed. Draftees would be called by lottery. Once they were called, draftees had the opportunity to either pay a commutation fee of $300 for this draft, or hire replacements that exempted them for the entire war. In July 1863, draft riots broke out in New York. Over the course of the riots, Blacks were often the target of many rioters. Lincoln sent federal troops to put down the riots. There are various estimates of the number of dead and wounded ranging from 70 to 1,000. |
