Which option best describes how the printing press transformed European society?

(A) Prior to the printing press, the Catholic Church hand-copied texts and disseminated them to peasants.

(B) Prior to the printing press, the Church of England did not allow peasants to learn to read.

(C) Prior to the printing press, the Orthodox Church recited Luther’s “95 Theses” aloud to peasants.

(D) Prior to the printing press, knowledge was reserved primarily for nobles and clergy.

The modern printing press was invented in the mid-15th century by Johannes Gutenberg. This invention allowed the easier and faster printing of texts and books and, therefore, it paved the way for the dissemination of knowledge and information that was fundamental for the outbreak of the Renaissance and the scientific revolution. Prior to this technology, knowledge was reserved primarily for nobles and clergy. In fact, most of the books during the middle ages were preserved in the libraries of the monasteries. Peasants, that made the majority of the population in Europe at that time, had no access to knowledge and education.