History of Protestantism History of Protestantism Protestantism originated from work of several theologians starting in the 12th century, although there could have been earlier cases of which there is no surviving evidence. Any prominent dissent was subject to persecution by the Roman Catholic Church, and thus attempts to change anything in the Catholic Church were kept isolated or effectively eradicated up to the 16th century. One of the early Protestant Reformers was John Wycliffe, an English theologian and early proponent of reform in the 14th century. His followers, known as Lollards, spread throughout England but soon were persecuted by both the Catholic Church
14th & 15th century Africa 14th & 15th century Africa In the 14th and 15th century the main civilizations and kingdoms in Africa were the Mali Empire, Kingdom of Kongo, Benin Kingdom, Hausa City-states, Great Zimbabwe, Ethiopian Empire, Kilwa Sultanate and the Ajuran Sultanate. These kingdoms flourished in the 14th century, especially the Mali Empire, who saw a cultural flowering within their empire centred on the University of Timbuktu. The 12th through the 16th centuries were known as the “golden age” of trade, when West African gold was in high demand. This led to an increase in the need and use for trade routes. Before,