The Rebirth of Europe... AND Harlem

Europe and Harlem, New York both had Renaissances; Europe's was in 1300 to 1600, and Harlem's was in the 1920's and 1930's. Though the two places were pretty far apart from each other and the time of their Renaissances were very different in terms of time, the two were similar in different in many ways.
The reason of the Renaissance for Europe was similar, but different with Harlem. Europe's Renaissance was caused by the change of society after some hard times. The growth of nations, the deadly bubonic plague, and the Hundred Years' War together brought the system of feudalism to an end. As the system slowly faded away, European cities continued to grow, because of the expansion of trade and the making of a merchant class. With the expansion of trade, many new goods and ideas were introduced to the Europeans. Humanism, for example, developed, and it strengthened the people's desire to experiment and create. Soon, there was an explosion of creativity, marking the start of the Renaissance. The Harlem Renaissance started with the migration of African Americans from the south to the north, seeking freedom. About 750,000 left the south, and nearly 175,00o African Americans arrived at Harlem in New York. Because of the huge population of African Americans, cultures and ideas were easily shared, and soon there was a boom of creativity similar to Europe's. The two Renaissances were similar, because they both occurred after hard times.
For both, there was a great explosion of creativity. In Europe, there was an advance in the arts as well as in Harlem. In Harlem, African Americans expressed their feelings and dreams in unique paintings. In Europe, the three artists, Da Vinci, Michelangelo, and Raphael have created exceptional works of art still admired today. African American newspapers and magazines had begun to flourish in Harlem, leading to the creation of literary works, much like in Europe. Writers in Europe wrote many poems and stories, many of which became famous. The European Renaissance also had breakthroughs in building techniques. Filippo Brunelleschi, an influential European architect, was known for designing and building domes for churches. Another development during the Harlem Renaissance was the making of jazz, becoming a significant part of music history. Like there were great artists and writers in the European Renaissance, there were also great musicians in the Harlem Renaissance, including Louis Armstrong and Duke Ellington.
One last difference was that the European Renaissance only benefited the upper class in the beginning, while the Harlem Renaissance benefited the whole neighborhood. Despite their location and period of time, both Renaissances shared similarities as well as differences and were a significant part of history.