Draft Census?
Replies: 3
Draft Census?
I posted this question under another topic:
http://boards.ancestry.com/topics.census.us.mi/624/mb.ashx
It doesn't seem to be getting much attention, so I'll try it here. The description of the database for draft registration cards on Ancestry.com is as follows:
"This database contains an index and images of World War I draft registration cards completed by approximately 24 million men living in the U.S. in 1917 and 1918." Where did the American government get names and addresses for 24 million men? The answer seems fairly obvious: from the previous census.
I became curious when looking at the 1910 US Census of Three Rivers, Michigan on Ancestry.com. Link:
http://content.ancestry.com/iexec/default.aspx?htx=View&...
My great grandfather is listed. He was inducted in 1918. There's a series of annotations in colums 30 - 32 ie., hyphenated digits inside the border, and hand written lines with checkmarks outside the border. There's no key or legend given. I found some clues under the following link:
http://www.archives.gov/genealogy/census/1850-1930.html
It says these notes were "used by Census Bureau tabulators in Washington, DC, to compile statistical data." What data? My theory is in 1910, the American government knew war was brewing in Europe. They used the census to gather pre-selective service data. Any thoughts or comments on this?
http://boards.ancestry.com/topics.census.us.mi/624/mb.ashx
It doesn't seem to be getting much attention, so I'll try it here. The description of the database for draft registration cards on Ancestry.com is as follows:
"This database contains an index and images of World War I draft registration cards completed by approximately 24 million men living in the U.S. in 1917 and 1918." Where did the American government get names and addresses for 24 million men? The answer seems fairly obvious: from the previous census.
I became curious when looking at the 1910 US Census of Three Rivers, Michigan on Ancestry.com. Link:
http://content.ancestry.com/iexec/default.aspx?htx=View&...
My great grandfather is listed. He was inducted in 1918. There's a series of annotations in colums 30 - 32 ie., hyphenated digits inside the border, and hand written lines with checkmarks outside the border. There's no key or legend given. I found some clues under the following link:
http://www.archives.gov/genealogy/census/1850-1930.html
It says these notes were "used by Census Bureau tabulators in Washington, DC, to compile statistical data." What data? My theory is in 1910, the American government knew war was brewing in Europe. They used the census to gather pre-selective service data. Any thoughts or comments on this?