In a recent speech championing immigration reform, President Obama said, “I’m not running for office again. I just believe it is the right thing to do.”
Answer:
A "Red Scare" is the promotion of a widespread fear of a potential rise of communism or anarchism by a society or state. The name refers to the red flags that the communists used. The term is most often used to refer to two periods in the history of the United States which are referred to by this name.
Explanation: This is why the government was so scared.
I believe the answer is "the ability to control trade and travel on the Mississippi river"