No single event started the Renaissance and no single event ended it. Rather, enthusiasm for the teachings of the Renaissance tapered off as people became more complacent about the changes that had been brought about. The world had forever been changed by the humanism of the Renaissance, and though the fire had died down, its principles would continue to flare up on occasion, such as with the spread of democracy. The history of Europe and America for the next four hundred years would be guided by the light of the humanist belief that people had the ability to shape their own destinies, the right to choose those destinies, and the obligation to choose morally.