Question

How did the Protestant Reformation shape the course of European expansion in the Americas?

Answer 1

With the spread of Christianity, the powers of popes have increased tremendously. They had their interference from politics to public life.

In 1517 Pope Leo X offered indulgences in exchange of a donation to rebuild the St. Peter's Basilica in Rome. Johann Tetzel was aggressively granting indulgence on behalf of the church. The church had propagated that if Christians give alms or donations to the church as indulgence their sin after death will be reduced. The popes had propagated that on the earth they are the representative of Jesus who they call son of God but treated like God.

Martin Luther was a German priest attached to the Catholic Church he rejected many teachings of the Catholic Church and protested against indulgence. In 1517 he wrote ninety-five theses and challenged the Catholic Church to have a debate with him on selling indulgence. He argued that the sins cannot be reduced by paying alms to the church; He had seen that the church was becoming wealthy and the papals were more involved in worldly acts and buying lands for themselves. They had become the authority above the rulers.

According to Martin Luther the Bible was the only book that shows right path to the Christians. He translated the Bible in German so that common people can understand what the Bible says. If had a tremendous impact on common people and they came to know that the Popes claim and Bibles teachings contradict each other. He was outlawed by the Roman Church.

He nailed the copies of his ninety-fives thesis on the walls of all the Catholic church  Wittenberg on 31 October 1517. The people became aware of his protest. He openly challenged the pope their interpretation of the Bible and fooling people in the name of indulgence.

He was declared a convict to save his life he escaped to Wartburg Castle and hide there for 10 months. With the help of Philip Melanchthon, he returned to Wittenberg and started his movement.

With the help of many German personalities his movement against the Catholic Church and centralized power of the Holy Roman Empire became a success and spread throughout Germany and Scandinavia. This movement against the Catholic Church is called the Protestant movement. They were protesting against the wrong teachings of Bible and Popes claim that they are the representative of God on the earth.

Martin Luther translated the Bible in German and other vernacular languages, made it available to the common public, and he voiced against baptism.

His doctrine says justification is based on faith ad salvation can be attained by having faith in God. He established the Lutheran Church. Martin Luther died in 1546 but his message had spread in the Christian world.

Some of the early settlers in America were German and Scandinavians who were the followers of Lutheran teachings these people brought their faith with them. By 1620 many Lutherans settled along the river Hudson. In North America, it reached through Netherland.

As more and more people migrated they brought their faith and preached it. By the late 1800s Lutheran church was established in America. Till 1776 America was the British colony and many settlers from the other European countries had settled in America.