Question

15th and 16th Century Changes in Society
The Bible is translated into many new languages.
The Protestant Reformation spreads throughout Europe.
The number of literate and educated people increases.
The practice of medicine becomes more standardized.


Which of the following explains a contributing cause shared by all of these events?
A.
Nicholas Copernicus proposed that the Earth orbits the Sun in 1514.
B.
Joan of Arc joined the Siege of Orleans in 1429.
C.
Johannes Gutenberg invented the printing press in 1439.
D.
Christopher Columbus sailed to San Salvador Island in the Bahamas in 1492.

Answer 1

C. Johannes Gutenberg's invention of the printing press in the mid-1400s.

The printing press made books cheaper and easier to produce, which allowed Bibles to be translated and widely distributed, helped spread Protestant ideas, increased literacy and education by making more texts available, and enabled standardization of medical knowledge through printed manuals and textbooks.