Jonas' Renaissance Assignment

Johannes Gutenberg was the inventor of the printing press. He was born around 1395 and lived until around February 3, 1468. He was married to Else Wirick zum Gutenberg. Gutenberg grew up in an upper class family as the youngest son of Friele Gensfleisch. During his childhood and early adult life, he worked as a goldsmith. During the year 1411 there was an uprising in Mainz, and his family was forced to leave to Alta Villa. Later in life in he studied at the University of Erfurt. In 1450 he got money from Johann Fust to start his own printing press. In 1456 Gutenberg and Fust got into an argument about the money Fust loaned to Gutenberg. The printing press was in extreme debt at this point. Fust later sued for his money back and won and got control of the printing press. Later in life Gutenberg decided to start a new printing press. He was eventually recognized for his accomplishments and received the Hoffman award.

The invention of the printing press is considered one of the greatest inventions of all time and definitely the greatest invention of Gutenberg's time. The printing press made it easier to print books and therefore raise the level of literacy among Europeans. Up to this point books and reading were mostly reserved for the upper class, as they were the only people that were able to afford books. With this invention a lot more people were able to buy books and therefore a lot more people were taught how to read and write. This brought an influx of education into the Renaissance. 

Another important figure from the Renaissance is Galileo. Galileo re-invented the telescope, making it much more proficient than it had been. He also started the release of the church's grasp on the average person's mind; he showed that there was a need for science in understanding the universe. He was arrested by the church for spreading his knowledge of the cosmos.