Please note that the content of this book primarily consists of articles available from Wikipedia or other free sources online. William Booth (10 April 1829 20 August 1912) was a British Methodist preacher who founded the Salvation Army and became its first General (1878 1912). The Christian movement, with a quasi-military structure and government - but with no physical weaponry - founded in 1865, has spread from London, England, to many parts of the world and is known for being one of the largest distributors of humanitarian aid.