During a period from approximately 1375 to 1527, an event known as the Renaissance took place in Europe. It was the establishment of an entirely new way of life; there was a vast renaissance of learning and the arts that completely changed Europe. Through events such as the rediscovery of classical works, the Black Death, the invention of printing, and the development of humanism, the Renaissance greatly influenced Europe on many levels. Europe grew in wealth, which led to a new focus on art and learning. From a political perspective, the Renaissance created division and competitiveness among European countries, as well as the formation and expansion of the merchant system. The rediscovery of ancient Greek works, particularly those of Plato, was a great encouragement to the Renaissance. The foundations for the revival of Greek works were laid in 1397 when the city of Florence invited Manuel Chrysoloras, a well-known scholar from Constantinople, to come and promote the learning of Greek. During his years of teaching, he greatly spread the learning and knowledge of Greek. In 1439, this revival was continued by the Council of Ferrara-Florence, which met to negotiate the reunification of the Eastern and Western Churches. This connection brought many other Greek scholars and manuscripts to the West, contributing to the spread of knowledge. Furthermore, the Florentine Academy promoted this renaissance of knowledge. The “Florentine Academy” was not actually a formal school; rather, it was an unofficial gathering of humanists, determined to bring back the works of Plato and other ancient scholars. The Black Death, although an immense tragedy, was another great contributor to the Renaissance. Before the Black...... middle of paper ...... edge, constantly looking for new sources of information. Due to the intense search for knowledge and wealth, a gap has been created between European countries. Not only did this indisputably define the borders of countries, but it also created a need for competition between them. Countries have been trying harder than ever to discover and learn new things that their competitors have not yet achieved, trying to get a head start in the ongoing race for knowledge and wealth. The Renaissance also helped bring about the start of mercantilism. This was an economic system in which the government closely monitored and controlled the economy with the aim of profiting from exports and gathering as many precious metals as possible. This would allow countries to be more self-sufficient and help the country to be better able to defend itself politically and economically..