American Renaissance
The American Renaissance was a period of American architecture and the arts from 1876 to 1917, characterized by renewed national self-confidence and a feeling that the United States was the heir to Greek democracy, Roman law, and Renaissance humanism. The era spans the period between the Centennial Exposition (celebrating the 100th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence) and the United States' entry into World War I.
Charleston Renaissance
In the Antebellum era, Charleston was one of the ten largest cities in America. The Civil War destroyed the city's prosperity, and the economic after-effects lingered through the Reconstruction era into the early 20th century. Beginning around World War I, however, the city experienced a renaissance in the arts as the local art community worked on bettering their city and representing it in various media. The Charleston Renaissance contributed to the rise of such art institutions as the Gibbes Museum of Art (which grew out of the Carolina Art Association's gallery) and the Poetry Society of South Carolina. It lasted through the Great Depression until World War II.