How the printing press "went viral"
Christopher Columbus needed it mostly.
The spread of the printing press
It took 50 years for the printing press to become so popular. It was first invented in 1452 and spread to almost all of Europe in 1500.
from:The Impact of Movable Type Printing Press
where, when, why and how.
The printing press was invented in Germany in 1452 because books were expensive and anything not written down was long forgotten if it didn't have a continuous oral following. Johann Gutenberg combined ink, paper and a wine press to make the printing press.
from:The Printing Press and it's "Impact" on Literacy
Johann Gutenberg
He made the printing press, but he didn't call it that. he called it "movable type".
from:The Printing Press and it's "Impact" on Literacy
Christopher Columbus
Christopher Columbus had his letter spread across Europe because the printing press made his letter in the vernacular of different parts of Europe while making it readily available for the public to read.
Questions & answers
1. Why is the printing press so important?
Because it revolutionized how people receive and diffuse information.
2. Who mainly took advantage of this new technology?
Writers took advantage. But someone who took advantage of it was Christopher Columbus with his first letter about what would become America.
From: The Diffusion of Christopher Columbus's Letter Through Europe 1493-1497
Europe in the 1490s
This is a map of where the printing press was introduced and made it's biggest impact.
Location: Lisbon, Portugal