Enlightenment Was A Period Of Intellectual And Social...

Enlightenment Essay Outline The Enlightenment was a period of intellectual and social growth around the Atlantic world, in places like Europe, Africa, and North and South America from the seventeenth to the nineteenth century. The way people viewed their world changed. They no longer thought just for themselves, but how they could make things better. During the Enlightenment, people started to believe that men were equal and free people. People were beginning to believe that all actions should try to help the common good and advance society. The people of the time were able to explore their new world and try to benefit it in many different ways, but these benefits came at a cost. Wars were fought, and many lives were lost. However, the†¦show more content†¦The Catholic Church taught that salvation comes from faith, good deeds and with the assistance of the church. Martin Luther went against this concept and said that salvation comes by faith alone and that anyone could read the bible and interpret it t heir own way. Martin Luther also translated the bible into German, so the common people could read it. This lead to the rise of Protestantism, and a major conflict between the new Protestants and Catholics. These two groups fought bloody fights, like the St. Bartholomew’s Day Massacre and the Thirty Years War, for religious dominance in Europe. Although there was much religious persecution, and these wars cost many people their lives, there were several benefits. New religious freedoms came about, and people could choose what religion they followed, and how they practiced their religion. They did not need the church to tell them what they should do, the people could decide what was best for themselves. Martin Luther showed that anyone could read and interpret the bible for themselves. This would also lead to the creation of nations, and rivalries based on where one lived or where one worshiped. (Worlds Together, Worlds Apart, 463-468) The terms of equality during the enlightenment did not apply to everyone. New types of Enlightenment thinking and developments such as the expansion of literacy and the decline of religious persecution began to threaten