AD 1500-1800

By ktenioso
  • 1440 BCE

    Printing Press invented

  • 1492

    Christopher Columbus sails for North America

  • 1513

    Ponce de Leon of Spain founds St. Augustine, Florida

    St. Augustine, named for St. Augustine of Hippo, was the first European settlement in what is now the United States.
  • 1517

    Martin Luther presents the 95 Theses

    In this document, Luther presented what he saw as abusive practices in the Catholic Church
  • 1520

    Luther denies the authority of the pope to interpret Scripture

  • 1522

    Luther translates the Bible into German

    Luther removed seven Old Testament books: Tobit, Judith, 1 and 2 Maccabees, Wisdom, Sirach, and Baruch. He also tried to change the New Testament by moving the letter of James, the letter to the Hebrews, the letters of John, and the book of Revelation into an appendix.
  • Period: 1545 to 1563

    The Council of Trent

  • The King James Bible becomes the Bible of the Church of England

  • The Mayflower sets sail from England to North America

    Separatists wishing to further “purify” the Church of England of Catholic influence leave for North America on the Mayflower. They hoped their colony would be a “city on a hill”--an example to the Church of England of the need for further reform. In the New World, many would be persecuted for their faith. Most of the first British colonies in North America legally exclude Catholics, Quakers, and others from participation in public life.

  • The Colony of Maryland is established

    Maryland will be the first colony to allow religious freedom for

  • England overthrows its Catholic king and bans any future Catholic monarchs

  • Maryland outlaws the public practice of Catholicism in the colony

  • Period: to

    The Enlightenment

  • British colonies in North America declare their independence

  • The US Constitution prevents religious tests for national office

  • The French Revolution begins

    One of the goals of the revolution was to turn France into a completely secular nation and rid it of Christianity. Church property was seized, and many priests and religious were persecuted, imprisoned, and killed.

  • The First Amendment protects free religious exercise in the US and prevents national government from establishing a religion.