Martin Luther Changed History

Martin Luther changed history in the 1500's. In 1517 Luther took a public stand against friar Johann Tetzel. Tetzel was selling indulgences by telling people they could buy there way into heaven. Luther was outraged by Tetzel's actions. In response to Tetzel Martin Luther wrote 95 Theses, attacking "pardon-merchants." On October 31, 1517, he put the 95 Theses on the door of a church in Wittenberg, and invited people to debate him. Someone copied the theses and took it to the printer. Luther was quickly known all over Germany, because of the theses, and it led to the Reformation. Many people were unhappy with the church and they thought Luther's protests were a way to challenge church control.

In 1520, Pope Leo X issued a decree stating that Luther would be excommunicated unless he took back his statements. Luther would not take back his statements, and his students had a bonfire and threw the Pope's decree into the fire. Luther was then excommunicated. Holy Roman Emperor Charles V also opposed Luther's teachings. He sent Luther to the town of Worms in 1521 to