William Booth was a 19th-century English Methodist preacher who co-founded the Salvation Army alongside his wife, Catherine. Born in Nottingham in 1829, he transitioned from a Methodist ministry to independent evangelism after facing restrictions from church leadership. In 1865, he established the Christian Mission to reach marginalized populations in London's East End. This organization eventually evolved into the Salvation Army, a global movement with a military-style structure. Booth served as the movement's first General from 1878 until his death in 1912.