William Booth and his wife Catherine establish…

William Booth and his wife Catherine establish The Salvation Army in 1865 to combat poverty and degradation in London's East End.

A one-time Methodist minister, Booth had originally named the organization the East London Christian Mission.

The name The Salvation Army develops from an incident on May 19–20, when William Booth, dictating a letter to his secretary George Scott Railton, had said, "We are a volunteer army."

Bramwell Booth had heard his father and said, "Volunteer! I'm no volunteer, I'm a regular!"

Railton was instructed to cross out the word "volunteer" and substitute the word "salvation".

The Salvation Army is modeled after the military, with its own flag (or colors) and its own hymns, often with words set to popular and folkloric tunes sung in the pubs.

Booth and the other soldiers in "God's Army" wear the Army's own uniform, for meetings and ministry work.

He becomes the "General" and his other ministers are given appropriate ranks as "officers".

Other members become "soldiers".

When William Booth becomes known as the General, Catherine is known as the "Mother of The Salvation Army".

William preaches to the poor, and Catherine speaks to the wealthy, gaining financial support for their work.

She also acts as a religious minister, which is unusual at this time; the Foundation Deed of the Christian Mission states that women have the same rights to preach as men.