In the mid 1500's John Knox almost single-handedly erased Catholicism and its trappings from Scotland and installed the religion of John Calvin in its place. Fun was outlawed. The main benefit of his conquest was freedom to read the Bible directly and to take communion (which involved normal servings of wine). Society was ruled by its democratically elected local church leaders. Knox's drive to establish schools so people could read the Bible made Scotland unexpectedly advanced in literacy very early on.