Question

During the Civil War, conscription (people being drafted but could find subs or pay to be exempted) was:

A. first instituted by the Union.
B. unnecessary.
C. overturned in the North by a Supreme Court ruling.
D. first instituted by the Confederacy.

Answer 1

Conscription was first instituted by the Confederacy during the Civil War, subsequent to volunteer numbers declining, through the Conscription Act in April 1862, prior to the Union's Enrollment Act in 1863.

Step-by-step explanation:

During the Civil War, conscription or the draft was first instituted by the Confederacy. The Confederate government, aiming to bolster its military ranks as volunteer numbers waned, passed the Conscription Act in April 1862. This conscription law included provisions that allowed wealthy individuals to hire substitutes, with rates reaching $6,000 in Confederate money or $600 in gold by 1863. This led to severe class resentment, as the conflict was perceived as "a rich man's war but a poor man's fight." In contrast, the Union followed with its own version of conscription with the Enrollment Act in March 1863, presenting similar substitution policies.