I examined racial and ethnic tensions between 1870 and 1916. There were substantial changes during those 46 years. These years have not been easy, in many ways they have been terrible and unfair, but as time goes by; As Americans, we learned what it meant to be free to grant many freedoms regarding race, ethnicity, and gender. I'll start with America's "Golden Age" which lasted from 1870 to 1890. This age was very contradictory to what the Gilded Age is supposed to be. I mean, it wasn't an age of gold or beauty. The slogan of the Gilded Age was "Get rich, dishonestly if we can, honestly if we must." During the Gilded Age, the economy and industry experienced enormous growth. Unfortunately, in the golden age there was mostly death, poverty and lack of rights for many. The economy was booming, in New York, industry was creating many jobs as well as many disgruntled American citizens, those citizens who heard about the West. The west was described as "vast trackless spaces with mineral-rich soils and herds of buffalo." The west attracted many people. The promise of land and the American idea of ​​owning your own farm after working for such corrupt industries in each country was very appealing. Former slaves, whites, Chinese, and many other cultures would make their way west, and this is where I believe the worst racial and ethical tensions occurred. The west was not unoccupied. The west was occupied by Native Americans. As migrants moved west, Native Americans had a choice: either abandon their land or go to war. Native Americans were forced to move to reservations, they were forced to choose to live with the white man's idea or not be able to become an American civilian, their children were taken from them because... middle paper ......ation which linked the south and the north. Social and industrial justice was created and has led America in what I believe to be the right direction. In conclusion, all minorities and women have had it harder than the majority of white men. There was a certain supreme race that began to decline at the end of this era. Minorities and women gained rights and America became a great power. It was a time of great change; Fortunately, we had more people who thought they defined equality as equal rights for all and America was working on that definition. Works Cited Foner, Eric. “16,17,18.” Give me freedom! : An American story. New York: WW Norton &, 2008. N. pag. Print."Massacre of Chinese by Whites in Wyoming Territory." History.com. A&E Television Networks, and Web. November 15. 2013. .