Overview
If the name of any one organization in America is synonymous with unselfish service to mankind, it is The Salvation Army. Throughout its history, this international religious and social welfare organization has sought to help people not just spiritually, but through the practical actions that assist them in times of need.
Researchers and students everywhere in American history, religion, and social reform can chart the role of The Salvation Army during the past century by reading the detailed accounts of its activities in The War Cry--the organization's official publication. This collection includes editions covering the years 1881 through 1981, and contains articles, testimonies, and photo essays covering virtually every phase of The Salvation Army's history and diverse areas of service.
For research in the areas of religious and social history, The War Cry provides probing and personal insight into such topics as:
- the Salvation Army's original roots in the ministry of William Booth, a young Methodist minister in England
- its expansion into America in 1880 with the arrival of Commissioner George Scott Railton
- its clashes with early critics and the arrest of many Salvationists for disturbing the peace
- its quasi-military organization and the role of commissioned officers throughout the world
- its efforts to meet mankind's spiritual, physical, and emotional needs, including aid to the poor, disaster service, and counseling centers
- its role in modern-day society, including special ministries to the elderly, families, youth, ex-prisoners, alcoholics, and drug abusers
The Salvation Army's foundation has rested firmly on the Bible as the message for each generation it has served. This, coupled with its penchant for actively seeking to remedy the social and economic causes of poverty and neglect through direct aid, have made it one of the strongest ongoing organizations of its kind in the world today.
The U.S. edition of The War Cry was published as one national edition for the years 1881 to 1920. From 1920 to 1965, there were three national editions. Since 1966, there has been one national edition. This microfilm collection contains:
- the U.S. national edition for the years 1881-1920 and the years 1966-1981
- the U.S. Eastern edition for the years 1920-1965
The collection was filmed with the cooperation of The Salvation Army Archives and Research Center in New York City.