By early 1844, London's industrialism was dangerous and hopeless. Many people had to be exposed to this toxic and scary lifestyle as the streets were very vicious and the overall landscape was very bleak. A common farmer who turned into a department store clerk [George Williams] had enough of this miserable lifestyle and wanted to do good for others who migrated to this austere and barren land. George joined with 11 close friends to organize the Young Men's Christian Association (YMCA), which was essentially a refuge for young men who sought Bible study and prayer as a way to "escape" their lives on these gloomy London streets . Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay While it was an interesting concept, it was far from new. Many associations like this were already formed, but the YMCA offered something very new and unique for a time like this. This organization had an overly strong drive to meet the social needs of its community and was always open to people giving it a lot of attention, and then giving it an even bigger boost of attention it needed. This caused the YMCA to gain many new members at great profit during these dark days on the streets of London. In George's early years, he was born on 11 October 1821, lived in Dulverton, Somerset and had 6 other siblings. He lived with his siblings, his father (Amos) and his mother (Elizabeth), he was always very educated and a hard worker on his father's farm. George soon left the family farm to apprentice as a draper and moved to London. George had a great effect on his era as he inspired and motivated greatly with the vast expansion of his creation when a sailor from Boston used his idea and transferred it to the United States. He married early in 1853 to Helen Hitchcock and then had many children. Before this wonderful idea George was a haberdasher for 'Hitchcock, Williams & Co.' until George Hitchcock died and Williams couldn't run the business alone, so he closed it and then devised the plan to create the YMCA with his friends. The way George greatly changed the world during this period was remarkable since his first intent was never so that the YMCA can develop it largely throughout the world. Williams has always been seen as an impactful and selfless character with some quotes such as: "What is my duty in business? To be just. To do right things between man and man. To buy honestly. Not to deceive, represent or color falsely" . It just goes to show how far he's willing to go to impact both his current era and so much more. Please note: this is just an example. Get a custom paper from our expert writers now. Get a custom essay At the end of 1894 he was knighted by Queen Elizabeth herself but Williams soon died 11 years later [1905]. His funeral was celebrated in St. Paul's Cathedral and he was buried in a crypt with a monumental bust nearby. Although the man himself has sadly passed away, his story lives on with his great-grandson Colin Williams, who is the Vice President of the YMCA and always strives to give and help others in need, reviving the legacy of Sir George Williams..