Transcript DBQ: WHAT WAS THE MOST IMPORTANT CONSEQUENCE OF …

DBQ: WHAT WAS THE MOST
IMPORTANT CONSEQUENCE
OF THE PRINTING PRESS
Short version
Documents 1-10
Document 1: Two woodblock
images.
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1445 invention of printing press.
Handwritten manuscripts continued to be
made into 16th century.
Woodblock printing used for printing before
moveable type but impractical for carving
multiple letters.
Consider this: By 1500, historians estimate
European presses had produced 20 mil.
Books and about 30,000 different titles.
Questions Doc. 1
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Would you have rather worked as a
scribe or printer?
Why is the date of ad of the Badius firm
1494, 50 years after the invention of
printing press?
Doc. 2: Map “Spread of
printing”
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Printing took 20 years to reach England but
when it did, they printed books in English not
Latin, the language continentental books.
They also printed non-religious books.
It took 400 years for the Muslim world to
accept the printing press. Printing threatened
the oral tradition of memorizing the Qur’an
and was also a threat to authority.
Questions Doc. 2
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What other industries were impacted by
invention of printing press?
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How could a sudden influx of millions of
books affect people’s social life, politics,
view of geography?
Doc. 3: Protestant
Reformation
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Luther initially only wanted to challenge the
practice of selling indulgences. When the
Church hierarchy ignored him, he challenged
their teachings, especially criticizing the Pope,
sparking a “revolution”
Some historians believe the printing press was
a primary cause of the Protestant Reformation.
Others say it simply speeded up the flow of
ideas which were already circulating.
Questions Doc. 3
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Can you think of a modern revolution or
rebellion that started small but led to
enormous changes?
Doc. 4: Different views on
Reformation
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Reformation leaders defied the hierarchy of the
Roman Catholic Church. Finally, Protestantism itself
fragmented into numerous sects - Lutheran, Calvinist,
Baptist, etc.
The Press spread Reformation ideas in print and
visual form. Reading of the Bible grew as exact
copies were printed in the vernacular (native
language). Bible reading encouraged the idea of a
“singular truth” for all.
Conflict arose between King Henry VIII of England
and the Church over Henry’s quest for a marriage
annulment. This led to a complete split with the
Church and Henry’s founding of the Anglican Church.
Doc. 4, cont’d.
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The Church took actions to reform, to unify
its message & doctrines and to punish
heretics. This was called the CounterReformation.
For the first time, the Church created The
Index of Forbidden Books in 1543. The list
included immoral or heretical books,
superstitious editions of Scripture by nonCatholics and any book on liturgy or church
dogma not approved by the Pope.
Questions Doc. 4
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Which is a more powerful attack against the
Pope, Luther’s words or the woodcut image
entitled “Christ v. anti-Christ”.
Bloody wars & violent conflicts arose between
1562-1598 in Europe. Could the words of
religious leaders have been partially
responsible for the conflicts?
Doc. 5 Map, Spread of
Protestantism
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Protestantism spread mostly in northern
Europe furthest from Rome.
Today Scandinavia, England, Scotland,
Switzerland, Northern & Eastern
Germany & parts of Eastern Europe
remain mostly Protestant.
Questions Doc. 5
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Has religious conflict in the world
become more or less intense since the
16th c.?
Can you think of anyplace in the U.S. or
world today where conflicts between
Christians and non-Christians, or
Catholics and Protestants, affect where
people live?
Doc. 6: Columbus’ letter
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This letter became a “best seller” in Europe.
No less than 11 editions were published in
1493 and 6 more between 1494-97.
Columbus mistakenly thought he had arrived
in Asia. He was influenced by maps & ideas
of Ptolemy, a 1st century Greek astronomer.
He made 3 more trips & stubbornly refused to
admit his mistake.
Norsemen had arrived on the North American
continent long before Columbus (ca. 1000
C.E.) but the rest of Europe was unaware of
this.
Questions Doc. 6
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Is there any modern event that parallels
Columbus’ voyage? What are the
similarities and differences?
The combination of printing &
exploration had an impact on many
fields of study. Can you think of some?
Doc. 7 Printing & Map making
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These maps show the progression of geographic
knowledge from the late 15th to late 16th c.
The first map is a Renaissance recreation of
Ptolemy’s world.
Waldseemuller’s World Map is the first known
map to record the existence of the American
continents, although inaccurately.
Many printers resisted printing a new world map
because it would destroy the market for their
best-selling maps which had become outdated.
Questions Doc. 7
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What were some of the social, economic and
political consequences of these more
accurate maps?
In Ortelius’ 1570 World Map what areas or
regions of the world remain inaccurate?
Which have become more accurate?
Doc. 8, Classical & Medieval
Books
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Great Classical & Medieval literature written
BEFORE the printing press, gained enormous new
audiences as a result of their wider distribution once
publishers printed copies.
Early printers are viewed by some historians as
heroes because they “saved” many ancient works.
Venice, at the crossroads of East and West, was of
special importance in the acquisition & printing of
such manuscripts.
The printing of classical & medieval literature
dramatically increased the impact of the Renaissance
by spreading humanist ideas.
Questions Doc. 8
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Why do you think early printers focused
on known books that had been around
for ages?
How many of these books are familiar to
you? How many have you personally
read? What conclusions could you
draw from those results?
Doc. 9, Early Modern Books
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Many of these books were printed in the
vernacular (native language). This had
the effect of standardizing the
languages of Europe.
Questions Doc. 9
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Compare and contrast this list with that
of Doc. 8. Explain as many similarities
and differences as you can find.
How many of these books are familiar to
you? How many have you personally
read? What conclusions could you
draw from those results?
Doc. 10, Newton’s bookshelf
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Sir Isaac Newton is often called “Father of the
Scientific Revolution”. He developed the
principles of motion which guide modern
physics and the rational empirical method of
hypothesis and generalization. His findings
were so revolutionary that they spread
quickly.
The flow of ideas came not just through
printed works but also through
correspondence between scientists and
thinkers of the time.
Questions Doc. 10
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Explain Newton’s quote: “If I have seen
further than other men, it is because I
have stood on the shoulders of giants.”
Was the spread of scientific ideas a
more important consequence of the
printing press than the spread of
religious ideas?