The Creation of the Media

"In 1543, the Catholic Church banned all books except those that had its approval, and in 1559 it issued its first Index of Forbidden Books. The long-run trend, however, in Protestant and Catholic countries alike, was toward centralized control in the hands of the state. Through several steps culminating in a proclamation in 1538, Henry VIII established a licensing system for all books in English." (Starr 28)

This quote from Pual Starr's, The Creation of the Media, really gave me an understanding as to what restrictions were created inorder to prevent people from furthering their knowledge. The church controlled a sequence of activities, including reading, inorder to suppress its citizens. These were the tactics used inorder to prevent any revolts against the church and its power.