The POTUS Timeline
Legislation

Signs Selective Service Act of 1917

President Wilson signed the Selective Service Act of 1917, authorizing the federal government to raise military forces by conscription.

The law provided the manpower necessary to build the American Expeditionary Forces for World War I and represented a major expansion of federal authority over military mobilization.

References / Sources

No source references have been added for this event yet.

Related Timeline Entries