One individual can be powerful enough to change the world. With confiction, determnation and willingness to hold strong to your beliefs, one person can make a differance. Martin Luther and Susan B. Anthony are examples of significant people who stood for their beliefs for the greater good of man and changed the course of history.
Martin Luther was born in Eisleben, Germany on November 10, 1483 and died in Eisleben, Germany February 18, 1546. In his brief 62 years of life, he managed to make a monstrous change in traditions within Christianity by challenging the teachings of the Roman Catholic Church and by translating the Bible in German. In 1501, Luther began studing at the University of Erfurt. He quickly excelled gaining a Bachelors and Masters degree by 1505. Luther then began Law school, at the same University, at this father's wishes. In the summer of 1505, Luther was caught in a storm while returning to school, lightening struck near him and fearing for his life "he cried out, "Help, St. Anne! I'll become a monk!"."(Greatsite, n.d.) Luther, having been raised in the Roman Catholic church, believed his life had been spared, dropped out of law school and entered the monastery.(Greatsite, n.d.) It was during his time at the monestary that he developed a termoilous relationship with God. He could not find peach with God no matter what he did. He was sent back to school to distract him from his self doubt by his superior. In 1507 he was ordained a priest and in 1508 he began teaching at the University of Wittenburg. He continued his studies and in 1512 earned a Doctor of Theology. His continued studies and the pursuit of a Doctor of Theology demanded indepth studies of the Scriptures. It is in the Scriptures that Luther finally found peace. He had not been happy with the teachings of the church regarding salvation and purgatory. He found that the Bible taught "salvation is a gift of God's grace, received by faith and trust in God's promice to forgive sins for the sake of Christ's death on the cross." (Greatsite, n.d.) This enlightenment lead Luther to script the Ninty-five Theses of Contention in 1517.(Greatsite, n.d.)
Catholic teachings in Luther's time contended that even if sins were forgiven, sinners would have to spend time in Purgatory after death for punishment of their sins. "The Church was selling what were known as indulgences, which released a sinner from this punishment in the afterlife."(Soomo, 2013a) This practice caused distress for Luther, as he felt people should be given forgiveness freely. He considered this practice a corruption of the Church's doctrine for absolution. The Ninty-five Theses were Luther's challenges to doctrine he felt were not being followed as the Bible taught. He did not expect the controversy that followed. He did not intend to seperate from the Church, he had hoped to bring change within the Church. (Soomo, 2013a) Luther wanted to "restore the Church to its New Testament Purity."(Wilson, 2007)
The Church refused to debate the issues brought forth in the Theses, the selling of indulgences being a major issue, and "Luther defied the Pope, the Inquistion and the corps of Catholic theologians."(Wilson, 2007) In 1521 Luther was "called before the Imperial Diet by the Emperor Charles V at Worms, 'my conscience is captive to the word of God...Unless I am convince by scripture and reason [nay emphasis], I will not recant'."(Wilson, 2007) This statement evintually led to his excommunication from the Church. The Theses were the beginning of change that would effect Western civilization forever and began the Protestant Reformation. ( Soomo, 2013) According to Wilson, "it would be dificult to identify any other individual who, without wielding political power or leading armies, more decisively change the course of history." (Wilson, 2007)
Luther believed that God had provided the Bible to be a guide to the believers and as many people as possible should have access to read it. This belief led him to translate and publish the Bible to German in 1522. Germany was made up of tiny provinces with individual rulers and with this translation he opened a door for all of Germany to study the Biblical teachings that had so infuenced his beliefs.(Lion, 2002) This translation also "helped to develop a standard version of the German language."(Greatsite, 2013) Luther believed that the Bible was the authority not the Church and "everyone could work out his own salvation and no longer needed the ministration of an intermediary priest hood." (Wilson, 2007). After the Church refused to reform in any way that might weaken its power, Luther believed that the Pope was the Antichrist and was trying to control the Christian community.
Luther, through his Ninty-five Theses and the translation of the Bible to German, set in motion change that affected millions of people and is still evident in todays society. The formation of Lutheranism, opened the way for the formation of the Protestant religion, allowing for clergy to marry, and salvation to be free to all believers. With the Bible translated to German, people were able to read the word of God for themselves and no longer needed a Priest to exert religious authority over their salvation.(Wilson, 2007)
In as much as Martin Luther changed the course of religion throughout the world, Susan B. Anthony changed the course for womens rights in the United States. In the 1900's, Anthony was involved in reform issues such as women's rights, abolition and the temperance movement. After the Civil War Anthony concentrated on women's rights and the right to vote.(Soomo, 2013b) "She alwas saw the right to vote as only one part of a larger program to improve the welfare of women."(Soomo, 2013b)
Anthony was active in various organizations advocating for womens rights, temperance, antislavery, and labor reform. In 1852, Anthony attended her first woman's right convention in Syracuse, and stated, "that the right which woman needed above every other, the one indeed which would secure to her all of the others, was the right of suffrage." (Linder, 2013) She would go on to be a lecturer and published a paper, The Revolution in 1868. She encouraged working women to form organizations to advocate for equal pay for equal work, an eight hour work day, the right to vote, dress reform, and womens property rights, . She work tirelessly throughout her life to make changes in society, but without the right for women to vote her efforts were of little consequence.(Linder, 2013) "Susan B. Anthony was convinced by her work for temperance that women needed the vote if they were to infuence public affairs." (House, 2013)
In Rochester, New York in 1872, Anthony planned out her stategy to vote in the November election. New York required voters be a resident of the district they would vote in for 30 days prior to the election. Anthony went home to fulfill the requirement. She had taken stock in the 14th Ammendment which stated that "all persons born and naturalied in the United States...are citizens of the United States, " and as citizens were entitled to the "privileges" of citizens of the United States." (Linder,2013) There were no referances to sex in the 14th Ammendment, so Anthony took advantage of this vital wording and demanded she be registered to vote. Ater much controversy and discussion among the election officials and refereance to the 14th Ammendment, Anthony and her three sisters were registered to vote. On November 5, 1872, Susan B. Anthony cast her ballot for the Republican ticket. (Linder, 2013) On November 18th, 1872, Anthony was arrested for "casting an illegal vote."(Linder, 2013) She demanded to be arrested in the same way he would arrest a man. When she arrived at the Commissioners office she found that 14 other women had been arrested as well as the election commissioners that allowed her to vote. Anthony continued her defence of her right to vote by referancing the 14th Ammendment.(House,2013) She would travel throught her district lecturing "on the topic, "Is it a Crime for a citizen of the United States to Vote?" "(Linder, 2013) Four months after her arrest she was brought to trial and after much debate "the judge instructed the jury to find her guilty without discussion." (House, 2013) She was fined $100.00 dollars, which she refused to pay. The Judge refused to imprison her for refusing to pay and this denied her a chance to appeal. (House, pg.6)
Anthony never paid the $100.00 dollars and the court never pursued collection of the fine. One New Your paper stated that "Miss Anthony is still ahead. She as voted and the American constittion has survived the shock." It would not be until the 19th Ammendment was past, 14 years after Anthonys death, that all American women would be given the right to vote. (House, 2013)
Anthony can be credited with changing the face of the American woman. With her work for women's rights and the right to vote, all American woman have been given more status within American society. Anthony's work changed the way women are perceived and valued. " In recognition of her dedication and hard work, the U.S. Treasury Department put Anthony's portrait on dollar coins in 1979, making her the first woman to be so honored."(Anthony, 2013)

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Soomo. (2013b).Susan B. Anthony . Retrieved from http://courses.soomopublishing.com/context/49220382-35f9-4849-9496-83811116aaaf/tocs/51db14842e0b830002000001/chapters/51ddb789f74096457e00016b/assignments/51ddb7ae5dbc824a7d0001b9
Wilson, D. (2007). The Luther legacy.History Today, 57. Retrieved from https://wgu.edu/provision8537463
Susan B. Anthony.Biography.(2013). Retrieved from http://www.biography.com/people/susan-b-anthony-194905?page=2