Answer:
80 years.
Explanation:
The Revolutionary War ended in 1781 and the Civil War began in 1861.
It was important that civil service positions were not hereditary so that officials would be well-qualified. The fear was that if these positions were hereditary or inherited by a parent then officials would not really qualify for the position they inherited. There would be no requirements to serve except that their parent was previously an official. By not allowing this officials would be required to qualify on their merits and not based on who they were related too. Thus better and more qualified officials would exist. The answer is A) so officials would be well-qualified.
