Selective Service Act

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Selective Service Act

United States [1917]

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July 13, 2026

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The Selective Service Act of 1917 was a U.S. federal law that instituted conscription, or compulsory military service. The United States entered World War I in April 1917, and with a peacetime army of only about 100,000 men, conscription was necessary for American participation in the war. President Woodrow Wilson signed the act on May 18, 1917, creating the Selective Service System. This system managed the induction of approximately 2.8 million men into the armed forces over the next two years. Initially, the draft targeted men aged 21 to 30, but it was later expanded to include all able-bodied men aged 18 to 45. The Supreme Court upheld the constitutionality of the draft in 1918, ruling that the Constitution did not limit Congress's power to raise armies.12

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Enoch Herbert Crowder
…officer and administrator of the Selective Service Act in World War I.
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…officer and administrator of the Selective Service Act in World War I.
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United States
America’s role in the war
…mainly by conscription under the Selective Service Act of 1917; the American Expeditionary Force of more than 1,200,000 men under General Pershing reached France by September 1918, and this huge infusion of manpower tipped the balance on the Western Front and helped to end the war in November 1918, a…
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…mainly by conscription under the Selective Service Act of 1917; the American Expeditionary Force of more than 1,200,000 men under General Pershing reached France by September 1918, and this huge infusion of manpower tipped the balance on the Western Front and helped to end the war in November 1918, a…
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Bounty System
…and was outlawed in the Selective Service Act of 1917. During the French and Indian Wars, the Revolutionary War, the War of 1812, and the Mexican-American War, military bounties included land grants as well as cash payments; Civil War bounties were in cash only.
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…and was outlawed in the Selective Service Act of 1917. During the French and Indian Wars, the Revolutionary War, the War of 1812, and the Mexican-American War, military bounties included land grants as well as cash payments; Civil War bounties were in cash only.
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Woodrow Wilson
Second term as president of Woodrow Wilson
…ensured the success of the Selective Service Act (see Selective Service Acts), which became law in May. This helped to raise the strength of the armed forces to five million men and women, two million of whom reached France by the war’s end. The boost given to the Allies by…
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…ensured the success of the Selective Service Act (see Selective Service Acts), which became law in May. This helped to raise the strength of the armed forces to five million men and women, two million of whom reached France by the war’s end. The boost given to the Allies by…
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Selective Service Acts
The Selective Service Act, signed by Pres. Woodrow Wilson on May 18, 1917, created the Selective Service System, which managed the induction of some 2.8 million men into the armed forces over the next two years and abolished the much maligned bounty system. Initially targeting male…
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The Selective Service Act, signed by Pres. Woodrow Wilson on May 18, 1917, created the Selective Service System, which managed the induction of some 2.8 million men into the armed forces over the next two years and abolished the much maligned bounty system. Initially targeting male…
Read More