"The country needs and, unless I mistake its temper, the country demands bold, persistent, experimentation. It is common sense to take a method and try it, if it fails, admit it frankly and try another. But above all, try something." (Theodore Roosevelt) The progressive era is generally associated with Theodore Roosevelt. Throughout this time period described by George Mowry, in The Era of Theodore Roosevelt, phrases such as "new morality," "new nationalism," "new freedom," "new immigration," and "new woman" were being coined. Starting in 1898 a new sense of well being and change dawned over America with the end of the depression and more jobs due to increased industrialization. This era (roughly 1900-1912) was marked by a relatively stable economy and political and social turmoil at home and abroad. Mowry argues that Theodore Roosevelt was an essential part of the Progressive Movement.

This novel encompasses many aspects of American...