At the turn of the twentieth century America witnessed the Progressive movement. The people had a desire to end the corruption in government and to control the big corporations. They took action by cleaning up the cities, making them cleaner and safer. Cities were redesigned, and housing codes were established. Not only were cities being reformed, but also institutions like laws, schools and government. The movement inspired a quest for social justice, more democracy in politics, and widespread economic regulation. Laws were forged to enforce the riddance of corruption in the marketplace. Teddy Roosevelt emerged as not only the leader of a nation, but also as the leader of the Progressive movement. He became known as the great "trust-buster." He established the Pure Food and Drug Act which made food safer for the consumer. America developed an intense feeling of nostalgia for these times. It appeared as if times couldn't have been better. The Progressive Era was and is considered by some a warmer time; a time when things were less complicated. Today's society does not know of the other side to the Progressive Era. They do not remember these times as times of conflict and violence, as times of discrimination, as times when immigrants lived (and died) in filthy, unventilated tenements. This era is thought of as a nostalgic time. In a book titled Ragtime, through the portrayal of three different families, E.L. Doctorow presents these times as very anti-nostalgic.
             One portrayal is of an immigrant Jewish family living in inner-city tenements. The family consists of Mameh, the mother; Tateh, the father; and their daughter. They were told that the little girl must attend school. Tateh was a peddler and Mameh sewed dresses, the two of them had a very difficult time paying their bills as it was. Pressured by constant financial needs, Mameh began selling herself into prostitution. T
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