In World War One, how were people drafted?

Question

My friends and I need to make a movie for school about the time. We need to know how people were drafted. Were they like, sent letters? Did someone come to their door?

What was it like back then?

Answer 1

My passion is genealogy... and one source of information is lists of persons who registered for the draft in that time frame. While I have no proof, it was probably very much like other times when young men were required to register... they probably went to the courthouse (where most business was done). Another factor is the fact that birth certificates/ records as we know them, were NOT required until the turn of the century (different dates, depending on the states). Without those kinds of records, there really was no way to determine who was the "right age", or where they might be living. So obviously, there were laws passed to require registration, but it was a matter of ethics to comply with the law.
Have you tried to use google for "world war one personal letters" or "ww1 diaries"? It is always interesting to read what people themselves thought. I have a cool letter written during the civil war... these things are out there.

Answer 2

There was no draft for WWI. It came about in 1940.