The devastation of plague and warfare that marked the late Middle Ages stimulated Europe’s economy by condensing wealth in the cities and creating an impetus for diversifying and revolutionizing business practices to adjust to a drastic labor shortage. Europeans were hopeful for a new beginning, a wish that came to fruition with the Renaissance, French for “rebirth.” Originating in the commercial centers of Italy in the fourteenth century, the Renaissance was a cultural movement that spread throughout Europe. Renaissance writers and artists struck out in new directions and declared a definitive break from their medieval heritage. They looked to the classical past for inspiration and praised the abilities and achievements of human beings. In the sixteenth century, a second break came in the form of the Protestant Reformation (ca. 1517–1648), which splintered the Christian church in the West. The following documents reveal the vibrant cultures of the Renaissance and Reformation and address the new attitudes and ideas articulated by their leading thinkers.