What changed the medieval world order, giving impetus for the individualism and humanism of the Renaissance?

Changes or Broken Links:

14th century -- Rise of the middle class. This was a blow to the social hierarchy and the ascendency of the aristocracy.

1517 -- Martin Luther presses the claim for individual interpretation of the Bible. This was a challenge to the authority of the Catholic Church.

1543 -- Copernicus publishes On Celestial Motions

1609 -- Galileo's findings that the sun was at the center of the solar system were made public. Both Galileo and Copernicus challenged man's assumption of importance as the center of the universe.

If a link is destroyed, the whole chain is destroyed; therefore, change to the order, "The ties,/The strong connections, nice dependencies,/Gradations just . . ."(Alexander Pope, "Essay on Man," 1733-1734) brought an end to the political, religious, and social hierarchies developed in the Middle Ages.