Today in History, July 5

The Salvation Army

Remember the Poor
Remember the poor: a Salvation Army Christmas box,
New York, New York,
1903.
Touring Turn-of-the-Century America: Photographs from the Detroit Publishing Company, 1880-1920

On July 5, 1865, William Booth, an ordained Methodist minister and his wife Catherine, established the Christian Mission in London's poverty-stricken East End. Renamed the Salvation Army in 1878, the Booths were determined to assail the twin enemies of poverty and religious indifference with the efficiency of a military organization. Booth modeled his organization after the British army, labeling ministers "officers" and new members "recruits."

He espoused the religious doctrines subscribed to by mainstream Protestant evangelical denominations at the time. The Salvation Army was unique, however, in its commitment to establishing a presence in the most forsaken neighborhoods and in its provision for the absolute equality of women within the organization.

In 1880, the Salvation Army expanded to the United States. The movement also spread to Canada, Australia, France, Switzerland, India, South Africa, and Iceland. It now serves more than 100 countries.

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