What is the relationship between the Gutenberg printing press and the Age of Discovery? A. The printing press allowed dissenters to publish their writings about the misdeeds of their homeland on newly acquired lands. B. The Age of Discovery was recorded meticulously by Gutenberg and then published for others to read. C. The Age of Discovery caused many countries to make treaties with Germany in order to obtain use of the printing press. D. The Age of Discovery was fueled by written travel accounts and popular maps that were printed and sold widely.

Indeed, Guttenberg’s printing press allowed the standardization of printed materials; ensuring that a book printed in Paris would be the same as a book printed in Toulouse. It rendered books much less expensive and numerous, allowing the massive dissemination of scientific, philosophical, artistic, political and geographic discoveries. It also boosted literacy percentages all over Europe and its colonies. Books on seafaring and other related trades became widespread which encouraged people to engage in exploration of the world.