The Protestant Reformation: The Most Important Consequence of the Printing Press
In the 1450s, Johannes Gutenberg revolutionized the printing press and, in doing so, changed the landscape of the world. Gutenberg mechanized the printing press, which was introduced by the Chinese in 600 CE. The Chinese used woodblock printing, and even briefly entertained the idea of movable wooden type, but with over 50,000 characters, the task was deemed unfeasible. Gutenberg seized his opportunity and created a practical printing press with metal letters set in a frame that could be efficiently inked, papered, and pressed. Books became cheap enough for commoners to buy, and literacy rates throughout Europe skyrocketed. Historians often ask the question “Exploration
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Martin Luther was a Catholic monk at the University of Wittenberg in Germany. Luther was unhappy with the practice of selling indulgences (a pardon releasing a sinner from performing a penalty in exchange for money), so, on October 31, 1517, he nailed his 95 Theses to the door of the Castle Church in Wittenberg. These Theses were intended to encourage discussion about indulgences, but, with the help of the printing press, Luther’s 95 Theses gave rise to the Protestant Reformation (Document B). At the time, there were over a hundred printing presses in Europe (Document A). So, it was easy for someone to copy Luther’s ideas and take them to a printing press. Within two weeks, the 95 Theses were known throughout Germany, and within a month, they spread throughout all of Europe. Of the 8,000,000 books printed in Germany between 1518 and 1525, 2,400,000 of them were by Luther (Document B). Luther’s 95 Theses lead to the division of the Christian Church and the establishment of sects such as Lutheranism and Protestantism; but it would not have had such a strong impact if it were not for the printing press. The printing press allowed for Luther’s ideas to spread to every corner of Europe and be widely accessible to all