Harlem
The New York City neighborhood known as Harlem lies between the East and Hudson Rivers. First settled by Dutch immigrants in 1637, Harlem became an enclave for African-Americans beginning in the 1910s, and a haven for jazz and blues music during the Harlem Renaissance of the 1920s.
Fast Facts
- Originally named Nieuw Haarlem, Dutch for "New Harlem"
- First European settlement: 1637
- Multi-ethnic community during the 1910s
- Dominant African-American population by the 1930s
- Harlem Renaissance saw the growth of African-American music, literature, social reform, dance and politics in the region, but also crime, poverty, and oppression
- Harlem was a center for African-American political activism in the 1940s, 1950s and 1960s
History of Harlem
The first Europeans, a Dutch group led by Peter Stuyvesant, began settling in the Harlem region in 1637. The first European settled community was created in 1657 and named New Harlem after a town in The Netherlands.
The earliest families living in the region were farmers. In the early 20th century, during a bust in the real estate market, Harlem was a magnet for ethnic groups, including Eastern Europeans, Finns, Italians, and Jews. The African American population of Harlem grew to 200,000 by the 1930s, and were the dominant ethnic group.
Famous Clubs in Harlem
Harlem is best known for its nurturing of African American jazz and blues music. During the Harlem Renaissance, a flourishing of music, arts, literature, dance, theater, and social reform clubs such as the Cotton Club, the Apollo Theater, and the Savoy Ballroom opened their doors and provided opportunities for a creative explosion of music.
Celebrities Associated with Harlem
A wide range of writers, musicians and political leaders are associated with Harlem, including Duke Ellington, Cab Calloway, Ella Fitzgerald, James Brown, Thelonious Monk, Charlie Parker, Charles Mingus, Count Basie, John Coltrane, Billie Holiday, James Reese Europe, Eubie Blake, Noble Smith, W.E.B. Du Bois, Marcus Garvey, Malcolm X, Paul Laurence Dunbar, James Weldon Johnson, Zora Neale Hurston and Charles W. Chesnutt.
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