| This dissertation examines the draft as a locus of social, cultural and political interaction between America's military and American society during World War II. Throughout the war, civilians and soldiers engaged in a process of negotiation over who should serve in the United States Armed Forces. This process was sometimes friendly, often contentious, but always vital to both the war effort and the country's future. Involving ordinary citizens, congressmen, federal bureaucrats, and even President Franklin D. Roosevelt, the debates over the draft impacted more than just the war effort; they spoke to the very definition of male citizenship in the American republic. At stake were the American people's conceptions of democracy, race, fatherhood, free labor, and civic responsibility. During the war, selective service became a venue to debate these issues and others. The results of those debates would shape life in America for decades after the war. |
