Mining the 1880 Census Mother Lode: Insanity and Idiocy
(Gleaning Vital Information from WWI Draft Registrations)
In 1917 and 1918,
approximately 24 million men living in the United States completed a World War
I draft registration card.
These registration cards represent approximately 98%
of the men under the age of 46. The total U.S. population in 1917-1918 was
about 100 million individuals.
of the men under the age of 46. The total U.S. population in 1917-1918 was
about 100 million individuals.
In other words, close to 25% of the total population
is represented in these records.
is represented in these records.
These Draft
Registration cards are extremely helpful as they:
Registration cards are extremely helpful as they:
- Cover such a large percentage of the U.S. male population that you are almost guaranteed to find at least one U.S. male relative’s information.
- Contain
more than dates and places: signature
of the person, birthplace, citizenship, physical
description, any
handicaps or reasons they could not serve, location, occupation, nearest
family
Search Tips
- A
few immigrants (especially Italians) wrote their last names first, resulting in
some cards being filed under first names. - Some
cards (esp. Hispanics) are filed under their mother’s maiden name surname if
the registrant gave both parents’ surnames. - Men
who resided in British territories sometimes listed themselves simply as
British citizens without noting their origin in Canada, Australia, Ireland,
Jamaica, etc. - Illiterate
men were unable to spell their names and birth location, so be flexible when
searching for specific names.
Facts
- If your family member had his 21st birthday between 5 June 1917 and the summer of 1918, his registration card may also include his father’s birthplace as well as his own birthplace.
- Because
each registered male had to sign the draft card, you can see the actual
signature of your relative (provided they could write). - Not
all men who registered for the draft actually served in the military; not all
men who served in the military registered for the draft. - Only
a small percentage of men who registered were actually called up for military
service. - If
a registrant was not living in his home town, he could register elsewhere and
the card would be sent to his home draft board. - In
some rural counties, it may have been easier to travel to the bordering county
to register and request that the registration be forwarded to the actual
county. - Some
registrations were never transferred; therefore, an individual’s card may
appear in a neighboring county or state. - Non-citizens
were required to register, but were not subject to induction into the American
military.
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