The year 2017 marks the 500th anniversary of one on the most important events in Western civilization: the birth of an idea that continues to shape the life of every American today. In 1517, power was in the hands of the few, thought was controlled by the chosen, and common people lived lives without hope. On October 31 of that year, a penniless monk named Martin Luther sparked the revolution that would change everything. He had no army. In fact, he preached nonviolence so powerfully that — 400 years later — Michael King would change his name to Martin Luther King to show solidarity with the original movement. This movement, the Protestant Reformation, changed Western culture at its core, sparking the drive toward individualism, freedom of religion, women's rights, separation of church and state, and even free public education. Without the Reformation, there would have been no pilgrims, no Puritans, and no America in the way we know it.

El año 2017 marca el 500 aniversario de uno de los eventos más importantes en la civilización occidental: el nacimiento de una idea que continúa dando forma a la vida de todos los estadounidenses de hoy. En 1517, el poder estaba en manos de unos pocos, el pensamiento estaba controlado por los elegidos y la gente común vivía vidas sin esperanza. El 31 de octubre de ese año, un monje sin dinero llamado Martin Luther provocó la revolución que cambiaría todo. No tenía ejército. De hecho, predicó la no violencia con tanta fuerza que, 400 años después, Michael King cambiaría su nombre a Martin Luther King para mostrar solidaridad con el movimiento original.