What is the word origin of 'the draft’ – as in conscription in the USA?
Middle English draught, act of drawing or pulling, from Old English *dreaht;; akin to dragan, to draw.
And, just to add, it was used in that very context in the late 1700’s in England.
Australia used it too.
Until today, the German word - Germany still has the draft - for getting drafted (“eingezogen werden”) literally translates as “to get drawn in.”