Although the Chinese experimented with block printing by the 11th century, Johannes Gutenberg created movable type in the 15th century and invented a machine that is widely known as the printing press (History of the Printing Press, 2007, The Story section, para. 2). This significant discovery led to the publication of books that promoted literacy and expanded knowledge. This paper provides a background and analysis of the social, economic, and political factors that influenced this important discovery. As a result of this invention, the expansion of knowledge challenged many traditional beliefs and created a paradigm shift in human relationships among different regions of the world. There were Social, Economic, and Political Factors that played a huge role in the printing press as well. During the late medieval times, society was making a change into the coming years. Occurring was a pickup in social factors that lead to emerging capitalism, this sparked off more literacy among the wealthy and upper, middle-class. With new interest of literacy and knowledge, the printing press did not satisfy the demand. Manuscripts, prior to the discovery of the printing press, took years to develop. Thereafter, pages were published using time-consuming wood graving techniques with limited reusability. Pages were compromised of a number of blocks jointed together to raise the words off the page and were then pressed and copied onto another (Ament, 2007).
Gutenberg first experimented with metal typography referred to as a letterpress method. Wood graving, as stated, was time-consuming and Gutenberg thought it best that metal type could produce a higher output rate of pages. In 1436, Gutenberg strived to create a better method of printing. He created this method of printing that would pave a way into the social and industrial revolutions after his time (Ament, 2007.) Ament (2007), states that in 1440, Gutenberg helped the Catholic Church create temporal punishments on slips of paper and in 1450, Gutenberg began printing off copies of the Bible. A printing boom occurred in Europe for texts including the popularity of the Gutenberg Bible. Unfortunately, Gutenberg retrieved little money for his invention and efforts of printed works. He was later sued by his benefactor, Johann Faust who took control of the printing press and partnered with another to continue Gutenberg’s path.
Gutenberg realized, in a time in which texts were rare, he could, as a blacksmith, come up with a method of printing in mass production. The printing press, invented by Gutenberg, used previously undiscovered materials of the time. He created metal type using metal alloys for the typefaces and molds. Gutenberg then needed to devise an oil based ink to avoid using water-based ink, as it would not hold up under metal type of the press. He then created a press and a lever to apply pressure as necessary. These discoveries created a book of longevity that extended well past water-based prints. The science community used the press for printing journals; the Church influenced this discovery from their notices to Bibles. The demand in society grew to millions because of Gutenberg’s creation. The discovery and invention of the printing press created an information revolution and a process still used today. Even though the Printing press helped with the mass production of manuscripts traditional beliefs would keep some skeptical. With an increasing demand for manuscripts, the scriptoria were abandoning the use of animal skin parchment in favor of paper and adopting a more universal style of writing to expedite production. For immediate cotemporaries, the invention of movable type was not revolutionary. Rather, the printing press was a machine that emulated the work of scribes, although much faster (Zeigler, 2007). A shortage of writing materials, and lack of standardization in writing and spelling, led to limited readership of handwritten books (Blake & Blake, 2005). The printing press enabled the multiplication of thousands of books on numerous subjects that challenged philosophers to map the entire terrain of learning (Boorstin, 1985).
The printing press challenged existing beliefs and the value of human memory. For centuries, scholars and society valued the importance of memory and recital. In fact, the ancient Greeks stated that the Goddess of Memory was a Titan. A common set of core beliefs is often handed down through memory and language. In a literate culture, many customs are communicated with books and laws (Blake & Blake, 2005). Knowledge, beliefs, and customs passed down from generation to generation with opportunities for embellishment and inaccurate recollections of historical events. Indeed, handwritten manuscripts deemphasized the requirements of memory for education and the transfer of knowledge. The printing press challenged the reverence of memory further with the ability to duplicate thousands of manuscripts in the vernacular of different regions. “By the time the printing press appeared the arts of memory had been elaborated into countless systems” (Boorstin, 1985, p. 484). The invention of the press preserved many significant manuscripts and expanded the audience with translation of important work to diverse cultures.
With the invention of the printing press, scribes were less in demand. In 1534, Francis I issued a proclamation to prohibit the use of the printing press however, this declaration was never enforced. The scribes during this time continued to create custom manuscripts for customers who could afford their time-consuming services. The demand for manuscripts declined other than work that was less likely to make it to the press such as manuscripts created in the languages of Greek or Latin (Boorstin, 1985). The use of a printing machine challenged existing beliefs of job displacement and the need for artisans of the handwritten word. With the invention of the printing press, the use of machines displaced the amount of scribes needed for reproducing handwritten work. According to Boorstin (1985), Gutenberg “was a prophet of newer worlds where machines would do the work of scribes, where the printing press would displace scriptorium, and knowledge would be diffused to countless unforeseen communities” (p. 510). Indeed, the printing press became a well-used tool that led to an age of information and unprecedented collaboration of ideas.
The secular mass production of books challenged the religious beliefs in other regions of the world. Not surprisingly, Church leaders supported the publication of Gutenberg’s Bible. For centuries, explorers traveled to other regions to spread the word of Church leaders. With the advent of the printing press, books carried the message of Christianity. The printing of books required control to ensure information was accurate and approved by knowledgeable authorities. Government and Church leaders feared the uncontrollable nature of the press and censored the publication of many books that failed to meet a certain criteria. For example, Catholic Church leaders discouraged the vernacular translation of The Bible. Censuring dangerous ideas, and competition of other printers and publishers, led to a quasi-copyright system that lasted until the 18th century (Cotter, 2003).
The Muslims did not embrace the use of the printing press. Suspicion and fears existed of the machine and the products it produced. Muslim leaders prohibited the use of the printing press to publish the religion of Islam. Boorstin (1985) states, “horror lest the hog’s bristle in the brush used to clean the printing block be allowed to touch the name of Allah” (p. 545). Centuries after the invention of the printing press, Muhammad ‘Ali conquered Islamic fears when he permitted a printed edition of the Koran (Boorstin, 1985). The knowledge gained from this invention led to an age of information. The printing press improved literacy and challenged spiritual dogma. With standardization and vernacular translation, books published using the printing press expanded the diversity of knowledge. The Gutenberg’s printing press improved human relationships as well. Almost immediately upon its invention, Gutenberg’s printing press began to transform European culture, both explicitly and implicitly. The most obvious result of the invention was the rapid spread of books and with it the spread of information and literacy as well. Before Gutenberg’s printing press, there were only an estimated few thousand manuscript books in print in Europe (Boorstin, 1985). By 1500, more than 10 million books were in print stemming from the power of the printing press (Boorstin, 1985). The sharing of similar information across diverse areas led to the formation of many communities, not based on location, but based on similar interest. The scientific community was greatly affected by the invention, and it could be said that the printing press was the catalyst for the scientific revolution (Butler, 2007). With the efficiency and accuracy of the printing press, scientists could share and build from each other’s information. The turnover of information sped scientific discovery, for once a breakthrough was made, it was documented and shared quickly for others to build upon. The fluidity of information among those in the scientific community combined with the increased access to information within the public allowed more average citizens to think independently and share their thoughts. The spread of uniform information was a direct result of the printing press, which led to an indirect result of increased nationalism among Europeans. While the uniformity among printed information aided to the creation of scientific communities, it also unified a much larger population as well. Printed information had “homogeneous spelling, grammar, and vocabulary, inevitably produce a sense of nationhood” (Landow, 2000, Nationalism is the Inevitable Result section, para. 1). This bond was evident within Italy and Germany, two areas which “were geographic areas that shared common languages before they became unified countries,” but they “began to conceive themselves as nations after the printing standardized their languages” (Landow, 2000, Nationalism is the Inevitable Result section, para. 1). Individuals in one part of a country could read a book that someone on the other side of the country was reading. The invisible bond that began to unite communities and nations was shaped by the printing press’ ability to create standardized information. Another group existed as both, unified and segregated, as a result of the printing press: the religious community. One of the first books printed on Gutenberg’s press was the Bible (Bellis, n.d.). Before the printing press, Bibles were traditionally hand-copied by monks, which led them to be in short-supply. Communities would learn about the Bible orally, but the lack of both literacy and quantity of copies led to the Bible being not free, but controlled by those with access and of the religious elite. After the printing press, average citizens were “no longer at the mercy of the privileged clergy telling them what was contained in the Bible,” for they could now read it on their own (Harris, n.d.). This allowed individuals to come together and develop their own, independent beliefs, rather than simply accept those of larger institutions. Although this could be seen as a uniting experience, it also began to strain the relationship between the Catholics and the Protestants of the time, though. Martin Luther was able to spread his criticism of the Catholic Church and his own doctrine throughout the world at an increased rate, which came to be known as the Protestant Reformation (Harris, n.d.). Regardless of differences in religion or languages, the printing press was able to surpass distances and boundaries to unite communities. The consistency of written word allowed individuals all over the world to unite in reading a written work, even when reading it in vernacular languages. The printing press was the catalyst for both the Scientific Revolution and the Protestant Reformation, for its ability to share consistent information to the masses. In conclusion, without Gutenberg’s own persistence to search for better types and pages, the progress toward the information revolution would have occurred much slower. The printing press allowed literacy to spread around the globe, allowed missionaries to share the first original work of the printing press, and the Bible helped communities share the experience. With any new creation or discovery, fear is evident; the discovery may be ignored before the advantages of accepting it is genuine and good, as the Muslim community learned. For a man who earned so little recognition and money for such an extensive creation, his name will rank for centuries to come as the creator of a literacy revolution.

References
Bellis, M. (n.d.). Johannes Gutenberg – Printing Press. Inventors. Retrieved January 20, 2014, from http://inventors. about.com/od/gstartinventors/a/Gutenberg.htm
Blake, B., & Blake, R. (2005). Chapter two: The Foundations of Literacy and its Consequences. (pp. 31-85). Peter Lang Publishing, Inc. Retrieved from Education Research Complete database.
Boorstin, D.J. (1985). The Discoverers: A History of Man’s Search to Know His World and Himself. New York: Random House.
Cotter, T. (2003). Gutenberg’s legacy: Copyright, Censorship, and Religious Pluralism.
Harris, A. (n.d.). Gutenberg Press. HubPages. Retrieved January 30, 2014, from http://hubpages.com/hub/Gutenberg-Press "History of the Printing Press." The great Idea Finder. N.p., 1 May 2007. Web.31 January 2014..