Question 24

John Neville was working for the government.

John Neville was a tax collector for the federal government, which is evident from his role during the Whiskey Rebellion where protesters targeted his home. This indicates his position as a government official tasked with enforcing the whiskey tax.

A) the creator of the whiskey tax

This option is incorrect because the passage does not attribute the creation of the whiskey tax to John Neville. Instead, it was a federal policy enacted by the government, and Neville's role was that of a tax collector, not the architect of the tax itself.

B) working for the government

This option is correct as John Neville is explicitly identified in the passage as a tax collector for the federal government. His involvement in the Whiskey Rebellion relates directly to his government position, where he was enforcing the excise tax on whiskey.

C) pardoned by the government

This option is incorrect because while a dozen people were arrested during the Whiskey Rebellion and later pardoned, the passage does not indicate that John Neville himself was among them. Therefore, there is no basis to claim that he was pardoned.

D) a friend of George Washington's

This option is also incorrect as the passage does not provide any information regarding a personal friendship between John Neville and George Washington. The text solely focuses on Neville’s role as a tax collector and the government’s response to the rebellion.

Conclusion

The passage clearly indicates that John Neville was working for the government in his capacity as a tax collector, which is why option B is correct. All other options either misinterpret his role or make unsupported claims about his relationship with the tax or with George Washington, making them incorrect.