U.S. History Flashcards

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What was the main goal of the British policy of mercantilism toward the American colonies?

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To obtain raw materials and create new markets.

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What were the main differences between the Massachusetts and Virginia colonies?

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Massachusetts was settled by Puritans seeking religious freedom and built towns, while Virginia was settled by businessmen seeking profit from tobacco plantations.

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Flashcards based on U.S. History Regents Review Packet

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1
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What was the main goal of the British policy of mercantilism toward the American colonies?

To obtain raw materials and create new markets.

2
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What were the main differences between the Massachusetts and Virginia colonies?

Massachusetts was settled by Puritans seeking religious freedom and built towns, while Virginia was settled by businessmen seeking profit from tobacco plantations.

3
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In what way was the Mayflower Compact an early example of democracy in America?

It was an agreement made by the first Puritan settlers in Massachusetts that they would follow the idea of self-government.

4
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What was the House of Burgesses?

The first elected legislature in the American colonies in Virginia, representing a first step towards representative government.

5
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Who did the work on the early plantations in Virginia?

Slaves.

6
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How was the British policy of salutary neglect good for both the British king and the American colonies?

The British received raw materials and the Americans bought only British-made products, while the Americans were left alone in their day-to-day lives.

7
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Why did the British decide to raise taxes on the American colonists? How did the Americans react? Give specific examples for both questions.

After the French and Indian War, the British raised taxes on the American colonists. The Americans reacted by protesting, boycotting British products, and forming groups like the Sons of Liberty.

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How did Enlightenment ideas influence the Declaration of Independence?

The Declaration of Independence was influenced by Enlightenment ideas such as natural rights, the social contract, and the idea that government gets its power from the consent of the governed.

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What are natural rights and what do they have to do with government?

Rights that all humans are born with and cannot be taken away, such as "life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness."

10
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Where does the government get its power from, according to the Declaration?

According to the Declaration, the government gets its power from 'the consent of the governed.'

11
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According to the Declaration, what is the primary responsibility of the government? What do people have the right to do if the government fails to live up to this responsibility?

The primary responsibility of the government is to protect people's natural rights. If the government fails to do this, the people have the right to change or get rid of that government and create a new one.

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What were the main weaknesses of the government under the Articles of Confederation?

It had a weak central government with only a legislative branch, no power to collect taxes, and most of the power resided with the states.

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The Northwest Ordinance was the one positive achievement of the Articles of Confederation. What did it do?

It defined the procedure for adding new states into the nation.

14
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Why did the Framers decide to write a new Constitution?

The Framers decided the government they had created was too weak.

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What were the main differences between the Constitution and the Articles of Confederation?

The Constitution created a stronger federal government with three branches, the power to collect taxes, and shared power between the federal and state governments.

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What issue did the Great Compromise resolve? How did it do so?

It resolved the issue of representation in Congress by creating a bicameral legislature with a House of Representatives (proportionate representation) and a Senate (equal representation).

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What are the ways that the Constitution prevents the government from becoming too powerful?

Limited government, separation of powers, checks and balances, flexibility, and federalism.

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What are the three branches of government? Explain the main job of each.

Executive (enforces laws), Legislative (makes laws), and Judicial (interprets laws).

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Name and explain some examples of checks and balances.

The president's veto power over legislation; Congress's power to impeach the president; and the Supreme Court's power of judicial review.

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What are the different ways that the Constitution provides for flexibility (ability to change) in the government?

The elastic clause (Congress has the power to make laws about any issue it sees as necessary) and amendments.

21
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How does the Bill of Rights guarantee people's civil liberties? Name at least five rights guaranteed to people by the Bill of Rights.

Guarantees people's civil liberties, such as freedom of speech, religion, the press, the right to bear arms, and protection against unreasonable searches and seizures.

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How do you think George Washington reacted to a conflict between England and France?

He would likely have favored isolationism, staying out of the conflict and focusing on domestic issues.

23
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What does the power of judicial review allow the Supreme Court to do?

To declare laws unconstitutional.

24
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The two-party system, lobbying, and the president’s two-term tradition are examples of what idea?

The unwritten Constitution.

25
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Why was Thomas Jefferson against Alexander Hamilton’s proposal for a National Bank?

Because it was not explicitly mentioned in the Constitution.

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What was a main result of the fighting between Jefferson and Hamilton?

The creation of the first political parties.

27
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How did the actions of Chief Justice John Marshall change the US government?

It increased the power of the Supreme Court and the federal government.

28
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What were the main steps in US territorial growth during the 1800s?

Louisiana Purchase, Texas Annexation, and Mexican Cession.

29
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In what ways did the US government encourage westward expansion in the 1800s?

The Erie Canal, Andrew Jackson’s policy of “Indian removal,” the Homestead Act, the transcontinental railroad, and the California Gold Rush.

30
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How was the idea of manifest destiny used to justify US westward expansion?

It was used to justify US westward expansion by claiming that God had given the US the right to expand all the way to the Pacific Ocean.

31
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What advantages did the US gain with the Louisiana Purchase?

New territory, New Orleans (an important port on the Gulf of Mexico), and control of the Mississippi River.

32
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What was Andrew Jackson’s policy of Indian removal, and how did it affect Native Americans during the period of westward expansion?

It forced Native Americans to move west of the Mississippi River, often resulting in the Trail of Tears.

33
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Why did westward expansion lead to increased tensions over slavery in the US?

Because the North and South began to fight more and more over whether or not to allow slavery in the new territories of the United States.

34
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What compromises did the North and South try to make over the issue of slavery? Why didn’t they work?

The Missouri Compromise, the Compromise of 1850, the Kansas-Nebraska Act

35
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How did the Dred Scott case and the election of Lincoln help lead to the Civil War?

The Dred Scott case caused greater division between the North and the South, Lincoln's election led the South to secede fearing the end of slavery.

36
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What reason did the Southern states give for secession?

They feared that Lincoln would try to get rid of slavery.

37
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How did the Civil War Amendments attempt to protect the rights of newly freed slaves?

The 13th Amendment abolished slavery, the 14th Amendment guaranteed equal protection under the law, and the 15th Amendment granted African-American men the right to vote.

38
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What were the main methods used by state governments in the South to deny African Americans their constitutional rights?

Jim Crow laws, literacy tests, the grandfather clause, and the poll tax.

39
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How did most former slaves in the South make a living in the years following the Civil War?

Sharecropping.

40
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What did the Supreme Court say about segregation in the Plessy v. Ferguson case?

That “separate but equal” facilities were legal.

41
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Why was the late 1800s in the US sometimes called the “Gilded Age”?

Because of the wealth and prosperity that a few people enjoyed hid wide spread poverty in the United State

42
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What were the main causes of industrial growth in the mid- to late-1800s?

Rapidly increasing population, advances in transportation and communication, new sources of energy, the rise of corporations, and the government’s open immigration policy.

43
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What were some of the results of the idea of laissez-faire capitalism?

Monopolies, child labor, low pay, dangerous working conditions, and unsafe products.

44
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How did the philosophy of Social Darwinism justify economic inequalities?

It was used to justify large economic inequalities.

45
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Why were some industrial leaders of the late 1800s called “robber barons”?

Because of their unfair business practices.

46
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Why are monopolies bad for the economy? What were early examples of US monopolies?

They limited competition, leading to higher prices and lower-quality products.

47
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How did the government finally try to control monopolies? Were they successful?

The Interstate Commerce Act and the Sherman Antitrust Act.

48
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What were the problems that labor unions were most concerned with fixing?

Low pay, long hours, and dangerous working conditions.

49
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What were some examples of conflict between corporations and workers in the late 1800s?

The Railroad Strike of 1877, the Haymarket Riot, the Homestead Strike, and the Pullman Strike.

50
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Why did the US follow a policy of open immigration during most of the 1800s?

Because it fed industry's need for labor.

51
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What was the difference between “old” and “new” immigrants?

Old immigrants were mostly from Northern and Western Europe, while new immigrants were mostly from Southern and Eastern Europe.

52
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Where did most immigrants to the US settle in the late 1800s and early 1900s? Why?

In cities, near factories where there were job opportunities.

53
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What were the main social problems that reformers of the Progressive Era cared about?

Consumer protection, child labor, working conditions, living conditions, expanding democracy, business corruption, women's suffrage, and conservation.

54
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What was a “muckraker” and who were some important examples of muckrakers?

A journalist who exposed corruption and social problems, such as Upton Sinclair and Jacob Riis.

55
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How did Jacob Riis and Jane Addams try to help the urban poor?

Jacob Riis photographed the conditions in tenements, and Jane Addams opened the first settlement house.

56
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Which consumer protection laws were inspired by the muckraking of Upton Sinclair?

The Meat Inspection Act and the Pure Food and Drug Act.

57
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Which Progressive laws were passed by the federal government to regulate big business?

The Clayton Antitrust Act, the Federal Trade Commission Act, and the Federal Reserve Act.

58
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How did the 17th Amendment attempt to reduce corruption in government? What other changes in government helped to expand democracy?

It provided direct election of senators.

59
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Why did the Progressive Era US government create the Federal Reserve system?

To regulate the money supply and prevent bank failures.

60
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Which President is remembered for conservation and the creation of national forests?

Teddy Roosevelt.

61
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the reasons US demand for raw materials and new markets to sell products increased dramatically.

The need for raw materials and new markets, and the desire for military bases.

62
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What did the Roosevelt Corollary say the US had the right to do?

That the US had the right to be the “policeman” in the Western Hemisphere.

63
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Which territories did the US gain after victory in the Spanish-American War?

Puerto Rico, Guam, and the Philippines, as well as control of Cuba.

64
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How did America’s role in the world change after the Spanish-American War?

After the Spanish-American War, the US became a major imperial power with overseas possessions and a leading role in international affairs.

65
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Why was the US interested in building a canal across Panama?

To facilitate trade and military access between the Atlantic and Pacific oceans.

66
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At the beginning, what was the US attitude toward World War I?

Neutrality.

67
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What factors drew the US into entering World War I?

British propaganda, German submarine warfare, and the Zimmerman Note.

68
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What did Wilson’s “14 Points” say about the League of Nations? Did Congress agree?

That the US should join the newly-created League of Nations, rejected by the Senate.

69
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What effect did the Schenck v. United States case and its “clear and present danger” test have on the Bill of Rights’ protection of freedom of speech?

It limited freedom of speech if it presented a “clear and present danger” to national security.

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What new kinds of consumer products were introduced in the 1920s? How did the production of new consumer goods affect the economy in the 1920s?

New consumer products, such as automobiles, radios, and appliances, stimulated economic growth.

71
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How were the Sacco and Vanzetti case, the Scopes Trial, and the debate about “flappers” examples of a conflict between traditional and modern cultures in the 1920s?

The cases represented a conflict between traditional values and modern ideas.

72
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Why did Prohibition fail? What were the main effects of its failure?

It created problems such as the rise in organized crime.

73
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What were the main results of the rise in nativism during the 1920s?

Increased nativism led to the rebirth of the KKK, the Sacco and Vanzetti Trial, the Red Scare, and the Immigration Acts of 1921 and 1924.

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What were the goals of the immigration act of 1921 and 1924?

To limit immigration from certain countries.

75
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What was the Harlem Renaissance and how did it reflect the experiences of African-Americans in the 1920s? Who were the main figures of the Harlem Renaissance?

It was a movement of African American arts and culture centered in Harlem.

76
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During the 1920s farm crops were overproduced. What affect did this have on farmers?

It cause an oversupply of farm crops, and very low prices

77
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Explain how the “boom” economy of the ‘20s was actually an example of “false prosperity.”

Because it was based on speculation and unsustainable levels of debt.

78
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What did overproduction of consumer goods and farm products have to do with the beginning of the Great Depression?

Overproduction of consumer goods and farm products, too much credit, and speculation on the stock market.

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How did the Depression affect the everyday lives of Americans?

People lost their jobs, homes, and savings.

80
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What was the Dust Bowl? How did it affect farmers in the Great Plains?

It was a drought combined with overfarming that led to dust storms. Manyfarmers had to leave their farms and flee (Many went to California)

81
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How was FDR’s response to the Depression different from that of Herbert Hoover?

FDR responded with the New Deal, providing relief, recovery, and reform.

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What was the New Deal? What has been a major lasting effect of the New Deal?

It was a combination of work relief, direct relief, and bank reform.

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Give some examples of New Deal programs and how they tried to help Americans survive the Great Depression.

Social Security, FDIC, and WPA

84
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Why did some people think that the New Deal went too far in the direction of socialism?

Because it expanded the power of the government.

85
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Why did FDR try to “pack” the Supreme Court, and how did this action challenge the principle of checks and balances?

He wanted to appoint justices who would be more friendly to his New Deal programs.

86
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Why and how did the US seek to remain neutral at the beginning of World War II?

The US sought to remain neutral by passing the Neutrality Acts. This laws said that the U.S. couldn’t take sides in the war.

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How were the Lend-Lease Act and the idea of “cash and carry” the first steps toward US involvement in World War II?

The Lend-Lease Act provided aid to Allied countries while also keeping the US officially neutral, “cash and carry” signaled that the US was moving away from neutrality.

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What event led America directly into involvement in World War II?

The Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor.

89
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What was rationing and how did it help the war effort?

It limited supplies of most products so that there was more for soldiers.

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Who was Rosie the Riveter and what did she represent during World War II?

A symbol of women wartime workers.

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What happened to Japanese Americans during World War II? What did the Supreme Court say about this?

They were placed in internment camps. The Supreme Court ruled that this was legal in the Korematsu v. United States case (1944).

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How did President Harry Truman justify the use of atomic bombs against Japan?

To shorten the war and save lives.

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How did World War II lead to the Cold War?

The US and the Soviet Union (USSR) emerged as superpowers.

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What was the primary US foreign policy during the Cold War? What was the main goal of this policy?

containment.

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What was the Marshall Plan? What was its main purpose?

It was an economic aid package for Europe to rebuild after World War II to stop communism from taking hold in Europe and to stimulate the American Economy through trade.

96
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What did the Truman Doctrine say and where was it first implemented (used)?

The Truman Doctrine stated that US would provide political, military and economic assistance to all democratic nations under threat from external or internal authoritarian forces. It was first implemented in Greece and Turkey.

97
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Describe the events of the incident known as the Berlin Airlift.

Soviets cut off West Berlin leading to the US and allies airlifting supplies.

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Name and describe the two examples where the US got caught up in a Cold War conflict involving Cuba.

US invaded Cuba to try to overthrown Cuba's communist dictator named Fidel Castro, but were embarrassingly defeated. Cuban Missile Crisis, The USSR constructed missile launch sites in Cuba, only 90 miles from the US.

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What was McCarthyism? Why was it called a “witch hunt” and how did it damage the rights of individuals in the US during the 1950s?

It was a “witch hunt” for communists inside the US. It damaged the rights of individuals by violating their civil liberties.

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What did the government tell Americans about the dangers of atomic weapons during the Cold War? What was the government’s main goal?

The government told Americans about the dangers of atomic weapons during the Cold War. The government’s main goal was to prepare people for possible atomic war.