Recruiting Act 1779 facts for kids
| Act of Parliament | |
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| Long title | An Act for repealing an act, made in the last session of parliament, intituled, An Act for the more easy and better recruiting of his Majesty's land forces and marines; and for substituting other and more effectual provisions in the place thereof. |
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| Citation | 19 Geo. III. c.10 |
| Territorial extent | Great Britain |
Quick facts for kids Dates |
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| Repealed | 21 August 1871 |
| Other legislation | |
| Repealed by | Statute Law Revision Act 1871 |
| Text of statute as originally enacted | |
The Recruiting Act 1779 (also known as 19 Geo.3 c.10) was a special law passed by the Parliament of Great Britain. This law was created to help the British army find more soldiers. At the time, Great Britain was fighting in the American Revolutionary War. They had also lost many soldiers and were worried about fighting with France. The old ways of getting people to join the army were not working well enough. This new law was an update to an earlier law from 1778.
Contents
Why Was This Law Needed?
Boosting Army Numbers
The British army needed more soldiers quickly. Many soldiers had been lost during the war in America. Also, there was a risk of war with France. The usual way of asking people to volunteer was not bringing in enough new recruits. So, the government decided to make a new law to help.
What Did the Act Do?
Encouraging Volunteers
The Recruiting Act 1779 offered some good things to people who volunteered to join the army.
- They received a payment of £3 and 3 shillings, which was called a "bounty." This was a good amount of money back then.
- After their time in the army was over, volunteers would not have to do certain public duties. This included things like helping to fix roads or serving as local officers in their town.
- They were also allowed to start any business or trade anywhere in Great Britain. This was a big deal because normally there were rules about where you could work.
Expanding Impressment
The law also made it easier to force people into the army. This was called "impressment." Before this law, only certain people, like smugglers or "disorderly persons," could be forced to join. The 1779 Act added more groups of people who could be impressed. This included people who had left their families without support, making their families a problem for the local community.
The main reason this law worked was because many people volunteered. They chose to join the army on their own rather than risk being forced into it.
When Did the Act Start and End?
The Recruiting Act 1779 became an official law on February 9, 1779. This is when it received "royal assent," meaning the King approved it.
However, most of the law was canceled on May 26, 1780. Only the parts that helped volunteers remained in effect. The entire law was finally removed much later, in 1871, by another law called the Statute Law Revision Act 1871.
