ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Foreign Enlistment Act 1870

So kiddo, back in 1870, there was a law called the Foreign Enlistment Act. This law was made to stop people from Britain from joining armies or fighting for other countries.

Who made this law? It was made by the people who govern the country, and it means that if someone wants to go fight for another country, they need to get permission from the government first.

Why was this law made? Well, some people wanted to go fight for other countries because there were wars happening in other parts of the world. But the British government didn't want their own people to go and fight for other countries because they might end up getting hurt or killed.

So, they made the Foreign Enlistment Act which made it illegal for people to join other countries' armies without permission. This way, the government could keep better track of where their citizens were and keep them safe.

If someone broke this law, they could be punished by going to jail or paying a big fine.

So, to sum it up, the Foreign Enlistment Act meant that people couldn't just go and fight for other countries without permission from the government. This was done to keep people safe and prevent them from getting hurt in war.