How the Salvation Army Militarized Charity

From its humble beginnings in London’s East End in the late 19th century, the Salvation Army has grown into a global symbol of charitable work, transforming traditional evangelism by adopting a military structure. 

Though officially established in 1878, the Salvation Army traces its roots to July 2, 1865, when William Booth, a former Methodist minister, began preaching in London’s impoverished East End. 

“He gradually began to attract a following,” says Andrew Mark Eason, associate professor of religion at Booth University College. “Initially called the Christian Mission, it transformed into the Salvation Army in 1878.”

Booth’s early career as a minister began in England in 1852, according to the organization's own account of its history, but he soon left the traditional church setting, preferring to preach in the streets. His unconventional style led him and his wife, Catherine, to train other evangelists, reaching out to society’s most marginalized individuals, including sex workers, alcoholics, gamblers and criminals. 

“Soon, those converts were also preaching and singing in the streets as living testimonies to the power of God,” the Army notes. By late 1869, the Christian Mission had more than 1,000 evangelists and volunteers.

The Salvation Army’s militarized approach and name began when Booth, reviewing the mission’s annual report in 1878, changed the phrase “volunteer army” to “Salvation Army.” According to the organization, converts became “soldiers,” evangelists were “captains,” assistants were “lieutenants,” and Booth took on the title of “general.” The structure, emphasizing discipline and rigor, helped the Army spread quickly, converting 250,000 Christians between 1881 and 1885 across multiple continents. 

Booth’s shift to a military model resonated with the public during the height of the British Empire, says Diane Winston, Knight chair in media and religion at the University of Southern California and author of Red Hot and Righteous: The Urban Religion of the Salvation Army. “The army really had a lot of standing,” she says. “It created a sense of pride for people.” 

Booth’s rebranding included uniforms, a rule book and other military-style structures. “Once he hit upon the idea of calling his mission Salvation Army, everything else fell into place,” Winston says. “He used the tropes, metaphors and insignia of an army—but turned it into a religious force instead of a militant secular force.”   

Booth's approach to making the Salvation Army more visible in London also included street services complete with brass bands and women preachers—which broke societal norms and drew large crowds.

“He didn't think going into churches would be that helpful because churches were filled with rich people, and many churches did not even allow poor people in,” Winston says. Instead, she adds, Booth took his mission to saloons, public squares and theaters, “places where people usually didn't go to evangelize.” 

The Salvation Army crossed the Atlantic in 1878, and by 1880, Booth sent George Scott Railton and seven "lassies" to New York (the Army’s term for female volunteers). Their unconventional methods, such as street rallies, women preachers and inclusive, integrated gatherings, resonated with lower-income communities despite initial skepticism, Winston says. 

“They weren't quiet, and they lacked decorum,” she adds. “And yet, the people the Army were targeting were very receptive to this kind of message.” 

A pivotal moment came in 1890 with Booth’s book In Darkest England and the Way Out, which outlined a comprehensive plan to combat poverty. According to Eason, the publication improved the Army’s reputation and expanded its social services, such as hostels and thrift stores, often overshadowing its identity as part of the evangelical church.

“Moreover, as the Army became increasingly reliant on the public to fund its social operations, it began to tone down the more aggressive features of its evangelistic work,” he says. “The public was willing to support the Army’s social work—but was less than willing to fund its efforts to save souls.”  

Booth’s initiatives also addressed social justice issues, such as improving conditions for match factory workers in late Victorian Britain, says Eason, author of Women in God’s Army: Gender and Equality in the Early Salvation Army. He also promoted gender equality within its ranks—a radical stance at the time—with directives to senior leadership to treat women “as equal with men in all the intellectual and social relationships in life.”  

As the Army expanded into cities like Chicago and San Francisco, it used popular culture to spread its mission. It adapted barroom tunes into hymns and staged religious-themed vaudeville shows and dramatic productions. 

“That was kind of risky at first because most conservative Christians at that time believed any kind of entertainment was frivolous,” Winston says. Still, she adds, the performances garnered media attention, and Booth's daughter, Evangeline, who headed the American Army for 30 years, relished creating these spectacles.

During World War I, Evangeline Booth sent lassies (as they called them) to the front lines in France, where they set up huts to serve soldiers, baking thousands of donuts and other treats daily, which dramatically improved the Salvation Army’s image. “Soldiers wrote home praising what the Army was doing,” Winston says.

Post-World War I, the Salvation Army maintained its success and financial stability through fundraising. During the Great Depression, it was one of the few organizations with resources to provide national-scale assistance. And, Winston notes, in 1933, journalist Damon Runyon published the story The Idyll of Miss Sarah Brown, based on a Salvation Army lassie who inspired the musical Guys and Dolls. Though the Army was not directly named in the show, its influence was evident, Winston says. 

During World War II, Winston adds, other groups had begun to replicate its model of setting up huts staffed by women. The Army’s identity shifted toward being seen as a social service provider rather than a church, a perception that persisted through the 20th century. 

The Army’s global reach extends to more than 130 countries, with significant growth in non-western lands, according to Eason. Headquartered in London, it currently operates more than 1,300 thrift stores and nearly 8,000 locations in the United States.

The Salvation Army’s iconic red kettle campaign began in San Francisco in 1891, when, according to Time magazine, Joseph McFee, a captain in the Army, started the tradition. By 1897, it had expanded nationwide, providing Christmas meals to over 100,000 people. In 2024, the U.S. campaign raised just under $100 million.