<P> In colonial times , the Thirteen Colonies used a militia system for defense . Colonial militia laws -- and after independence those of the United States and the various states -- required able - bodied males to enroll in the militia , to undergo a minimum of military training , and to serve for limited periods of time in war or emergency . This earliest form of conscription involved selective drafts of militiamen for service in particular campaigns . Following this system in its essentials , the Continental Congress in 1778 recommended that the states draft men from their militias for one year 's service in the Continental army ; this first national conscription was irregularly applied and failed to fill the Continental ranks . </P>
<P> In colonial times , the Thirteen Colonies used a militia system for defense . Colonial militia laws -- and after independence those of the United States and the various states -- required able - bodied males to enroll in the militia , to undergo a minimum of military training , and to serve for limited periods of time in war or emergency . This earliest form of conscription involved selective drafts of militiamen for service in particular campaigns . Following this system in its essentials , the Continental Congress in 1778 recommended that the states draft men from their militias for one year 's service in the Continental army ; this first national conscription was irregularly applied and failed to fill the Continental ranks . </P>
when did the draft start in the us
when did the draft start in the us
1778
1778