Alexandra Kline

The most important and beneficial invention was the invention of the printing press. The printing press allowed more copies of books to be published. Before the printing press, copies of books were written by hand. Additionally, the printing press allowed more people to have access to books. The increase in published books allowed the capability for more people to buy, have, and read an increased amount of books. Finally, the printing press also improved the education of people of the Medieval Times. The people of Medieval society became more literate and their intelligence significantly improved from the books constructed by the printing press. Even though the printing press was an invention of the Middle Ages, it benefited society significantly and without the printing press society today would be substantially different.

The invention of the printing press allowed more copies of books to be published. Prior to the invention of the printing press copies of books would be written entirely by hand. This was a labor-intensive task, writing entire books by hand, so the prices of books were very expensive. Thus, because the prices of books were expensive only the rich could statistically afford them. The printing press was designed and constructed by a German man, Johannes Gutenberg, in the mid 1400’s. In Johannes Gutenberg’s design, the printing press would work by ink being rolled over the raised surfaces of moveable hand-set block letters held within a wooden form and the form was then pressed against a sheet of paper. The printing press not only reduced the effort of writing a book by hand, but furthermore drastically reduced the time required for replicating a book. With copies of books being produced faster, more books now could be published and therefore, the books were more obtainable for the general public. With more books available to the consumer the price of books would become less expensive. The people of Medieval era now had access to numerous books.

The printing press allowed more people to have access to books. Before the printing press was invented, copies of entire books would have to be hand printed. Hand printing books was a time-consuming process. These books would then be priced substantially high. Consequently, books were generally purchased only by the upper/wealthy class of society. The upper classes were the only ones buying the books because they could actually afford them unlike the lower/working class. With the invention of the printing press, the cost of books decreased and became more affordable. There would also be more books available for the public, as the intentional result of the printing press. As a result, this would allow the lower class, of the Medieval class system, to have access to purchase the various books that were not available to them previously.

The printing press had improved the education of people of the Medieval Times. Before the invention on the printing press, the lower class of Medieval society were unfortunately suppressed from education and knowledge that they desired. The lower classes were illiterate and not have the ability to write. This suppression was because the lower class did not have access to the books. This was because before the invention of the printing press books were expensive, and generally only bought by the upper class of society. The upper classes of Medieval civilization, because of their access to books, were more literate and educated than those of the people who were considered the lower class of society. Now with the capability to access books, the lower classes were finally beginning to become literate, better educated, and more were able to write.

The invention of the printing press not only benefited the society of Medieval Times, but has impacted society today. Without the invention of the printing press, less books would have been published having a direct affect on the ability of people to access information, which in turn effects the level of education an individual may potentially achieve. Therefore, without the printing press, education would not be as superior as it is today. Also, without the printing press the masses of people educated during the Medieval Times would not have been realized which may have ultimately stifled other essential inventions due to the lack of access to books and the education contained in those books. Without the inventions that were born from the education of society and the access to books, today’s society would be significantly affected and perhaps stunted. Hence, the most important invention is the printing press.