Which of the following primary sources best help someone examine how the printing press and printed books influenced Europe?

Question

A. a twentieth-century showing the printing presses in renaissance Europe
B. a diagram of the printing press that Johannes Gutenberg created by hand
C. a sixteenth-century document calling for the censorship of newly printed books
D. a copy of one of the most well-known illuminated manuscripts used for prayer

Answer 1

To examine how the printing press and printed books influenced Europe, the best primary source from the options provided would be:

C. a sixteenth-century document calling for the censorship of newly printed books.

This document would provide direct insight into the societal reactions to the rise of printed books, including concerns about their content and the impact they were having on culture, religion, and politics in Europe. The act of censorship itself indicates the significant role printed materials had started to play in society.

While the other sources may provide useful information, they do not directly address the influence of the printing press and printed books on European society in the same way that a document discussing censorship would.