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1440
Printing Press invented
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1492
Christopher Columbus sails for North America
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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.
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1517
Martin Luther presents the 95 Theses In this document, Luther presented what he saw as abusive practices in the Catholic Church.
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1520
Luther denies the authority of the pope to interpret Scripture
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1521
Luther is excommunicated
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1522
translates the Bible into German removed seven Old Testament books: into an appendix.
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Period: 1545 to 1563
he Council of Trent
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The King James Bible becomes the Bible of the Church of England
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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
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Maryland outlaws the public practice of Catholicism in the colony
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Period: to
The Enlightenment
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British colonies in North America declare their independence
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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 US Constitution prevents religious tests for national office
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he First Amendment protects free religious exercise in the US and prevents national government from establishing a religion
States were free to keep their established churches, and many did into the early 1800s.