This excerpt describes a challenging moment in U.S. history during the 1790s.
After a spirited debate, the House passed, by a 35 to 21 majority, the Excise Whiskey Tax. . . . The measure levied a federal tax on domestic and imported alcohol, earmarked to offset a portion of the federal government's recent assumption of state debts. Southern and western farmers, whose grain crop was a chief ingredient in whiskey, loudly protested the tax. In 1794, farmers in western Pennsylvania attacked federal officials seeking to collect tax on the grain they had distilled into whiskey. - "The 1791 Excise Whiskey Tax," U.S. House of Representatives
How did these events challenge the U.S. government?
A. It was the first time southern states opposed northern states in the United States.
B. It was the first test of federal authority in the United States.
C. It was the first time federal taxes were introduced in the
United States.
D. It was the first test of state cooperation in the United States.