The phenomenon of widely available and reproduced literature is something we often take for granted. The important and revolutionary role of the printing press is something that cannot be understated. When Johannes Gutenberg began building his press in 1436, he unknowingly gave birth to an art form that would take center stage in the social and industrial revolutions that followed. Gutenberg was the chief designer behind this complex and groundbreaking piece of machinery. With its first appearance in 1440, the printing press reformed the era, built to multiply the output and cut the costs of books by printing with movable type. It played a vital role in 15th century Europe, contributing to many famous discoveries and inventions, and to this day is still a fundamental staple of our society.
The printing press allowed for greater production of written materials, and made books tremendously easier and cheaper to produce. Doing so, it increased the number of books while lowering the cost, and greater access to books made them easier and more realistic to acquire, and no longer were they a product of just the rich and royal. It was also the beginning of universal education. It was a time when ideas were carried across borders without corruption. It was the end for superstition, control and mass dependence, and a time of self-revelation. It awoke mankind from a deep and dark sleep, and helped open our eyes to the possibility of the infinite. Books were reproduced and placed in schools to assist and promote education. This resulted in a greater number of literate children, who harnessed the power of knowledge before their own parents. More widespread literacy is generally better for any civilization, and from it mankind prospered. With it comes improved intelligence in your populace, and an amplified awareness of contemporary events in the world around you. Sir Frances Bacon once said that knowledge is power, and the printing press did