In the 1450s, Johannes Gutenberg revolutionized Renaissance literature with the invention of the printing press. Gutenberg's invention encouraged cultural diffusion, advances in mathematics and science, and made literature more accessible to the lower classes. According to “What Was the Most Important Consequence of the Printing Press” by Chip Brady, “...without its invention, all of the above thinkers (Newton, Darwin, Einstein) and many others...would never have emerged » (Basic essay). Basically, Brady explains that many of the great minds of the time would not have emerged without the printing press because they would not have had access to the cutting edge of scientific literature and therefore; could not have built their theories around the discoveries of other scientists. Furthermore, the press allowed standardized ideas to spread incredibly quickly throughout Europe, without regulation from the Church. The invention of printing had a lasting impact not only on literature, but also on Renaissance society, government, and religion. The printing press had a lasting effect on Renaissance society in many ways, including creating a division between social classes, creating new jobs, unifying Europe, and increasing knowledge and curiosity. In “Negative Reactions to the Printing Press” it is written: “The Duke (Frederick) would be ashamed to have a printed book in his library” (Document C), meaning that the upper class still desired handwritten books. This created a greater divide between the upper and lower classes because handwritten books became a sign of wealth due to the fact that they were unique and significantly more expensive. Additionally, “Scribe and Print Shop” (Document A) shows that printing both created and decimated new jobs; app...... middle of paper ......n, he did so drastically Along with his changes in society, government and religion, he fueled cultural diffusion, innovation and progress. Without his invention, many things have been done to us. Newton's work in physics and mathematics, Darwin's theories and Einstein's work are not yet used today. In the words of “What Was the Most Important Consequence of the Printing Press”, Johannes Gutenberg was ranked number one among A&E's 100 Most Influential People. of the last 1,000 years for its invention. Many argue that he did not deserve this ranking, but when you think about the effects this had on Europe and that without it many of the others on the list would not have become who they were; we're starting to realize how influential he really was. The invention of printing played a vital role in cultural diffusion and forever changed society, government and religion..