In 1633, scientist Galileo Galilei was convicted of heresy by the Inquisition. He was forced to recant his beliefs and spent the rest of his life under house arrest. Students may be surprised to learn Galileo's crime: teaching the sun, rather than the earth, is at the center of the solar system. In this lesson, students explore three primary sources and one New York Times article to answer the question: Was Galileo really a heretic?
Image: Print of Galileo by Samuel Sartain from painting by Wyatt, date unknown. From the Library of Congress.