The
Enrollment Act, , enacted March 3, 1863, also known as the
Civil War Military Draft Act, was a legislation passed by the
United States Congress during the
American Civil War to provide fresh manpower for the
Union Army. A form of
conscription, the controversial act required the enrollment of every male citizen and those immigrants who had filed for citizenship between ages twenty and forty-five. Federal agents established a quota of new troops due from each congressional district. In some cities, particularly
New York City, enforcement of the act sparked
civil unrest as the war dragged on, leading to the
New York Draft Riots on July 13–16. It replaced the previous
Militia Act of 1862.