The printing press, introduced to Europe by Johannes Gutenberg around 1440, dramatically lowered the cost of producing books. By 1500, an estimated 20 million volumes had been printed across Europe, compared with only a few hundred thousand handwritten manuscripts in circulation a century earlier. Religious reformers including Martin Luther made extensive use of printed pamphlets to disseminate ideas that would have been difficult to circulate through manuscript copying alone.
Which conclusion most logically follows from the passage?
- A
Most printed books in this period were reprints of ancient texts
- B
Religious reform movements would have spread at similar rates without printing technology
- Ccheck_circle
The printing press played a significant role in expanding the reach of new ideas
- D
Manuscript copying remained the dominant means of book production after 1500
Explanation
The volume increase plus reformers' reliance on print supports B. A contradicts Luther's specific reliance; C contradicts the volume figures; D is unsupported.