Newly arrived immigrants at Ellis Island - Courtesy Oliver Wendell Holmes Library

America was thought of as "the land of opportunity." In the mid to late 1800s, many Europeans immigrated to America's cities seeking their fortunes in the New World. French quadrilles, Spanish flamenco, Irish jigs, German waltzes and many more musical traditions arrived in our cities and ports. These European groups influenced the way music was being played in the United States. The African American composer Scott Joplin combined European compositional styles with the rhythmic and melodic music that came from the black community. This became known as "ragtime." In the 1890's, ragtime was centered in Missouri where many talented musicians lived to perfect their music. To "rag" a song meant to drag out certain notes and rearrange music to make it livelier.