Period_7

The XYZ Affair:Consequences of Failed Democracy by:Tariq Decler and shyenne manners [[image:http://www.utdallas.edu/~pkj010100/US/xyz2_s.jpg align="right"]]
The XYZ Affair was a diplomatic event that strained relations between France and the United States, and led to an undeclared naval war called the Quasi-War. It took place from March of 1798 to 1800.Three French agents, publicly referred to as X, Y, and Z, but later revealed as Jean Conrad Hottinguer, Pierre Bellamy and Lucien Hauteval, demanded major concessions from the United States as a condition for continuing bilateral peace negotiations. The concessions demanded by the French included 50,000 pounds sterling, a $12 million loan from the United States, a $250,000 personal bribe to French foreign minister Charles Maurice de Talleyrand, and a formal apology for comments made by President of the United States John Adams.

The affair took place during one of the Napoleonic wars between France and Great Britain. The French regarded the United States as a hostile nation, particularly after the signing of Jay's Treaty in 1794. This treaty settled some of the problems that continued to cause friction between the United States and Great Britain after the peace treaty of 1783 that granted the colonies independence. Consequently, President JOHN ADAMS appointed Charles Pinckney minister to France in 1796 in an attempt to ease French-U.S. relations.

The demand came during a meeting in Paris between the French agents and a three-member American commission consisting of Charles Cotesworth Pinckney, John Marshall, and Elbridge Gerry. Several weeks prior to the meeting with X, Y, and Z, the American commission had met with French foreign minister Talleyrand to discuss French retaliation to the Jay Treaty, which they perceived as evidence of an Anglo-American alliance. The French seized nearly 300 American ships bound for British ports in the Atlantic, Mediterranean, and Caribbean seas.

Adams decided on sending Pinckney as part of the commission as Franco-U.S. relations had recently worsened by Talleyrand's rejection of Pinckney as America's minister to France. The French continued to seize American ships, and the Federalist Party, incited by Alexander Hamilton, advocated going to war. Congress authorized the build-up of an army.

A political cartoon depicting the incidentThe American delegates found these demands unacceptable, and answered, "Not a sixpence", but in the inflated rhetoric of the day, the response became the infinitely more memorable: "Millions for defense, sir, but not one cent for tribute!"



The United States offered France many of the same provisions found in the Jay Treaty with Britain, but France reacted by deporting Marshall and Pinckney back to the United States, refusing any proposal that would involve these two delegates. Gerry remained in France, thinking he could prevent a declaration of war, but did not officially negotiate any further.

Jeffersonian Republicans in Congress, thinking Adams might be hiding the truth, demanded he release the French proposals. Adams then released the report of the affair resulting in a wave of passionate anti-French sentiment across the U.S. that seriously damaged the Republicans and helped the Federalists win the 1798 elections. A formal declaration of war was narrowly avoided by Adams' diplomacy; specifically by appointing new diplomats including William Vans Murray to handle the conflict.

The Quasi-War began in July, 1798. there was no formal declaration of war, the conflict escalated with more French seizures of American merchant ships, American seizure of French merchant ships, and the abrogation of the Franco-American Alliance. Adams again sent negotiators on January 18, 1799, who eventually negotiated an end to hostilities through the Treaty of Mortefontaine. During negotiations with France, the U.S. began to build up its navy, a move long supported by Adams and Marshall, to defend against both the French and the British. In addition, in a speech delivered on July 16, 1797, Adams championed the formulation of a navy and army, while emphasizing the importance of renewing treaties with Prussia and Sweden media type="custom" key="7565219" align="right". ==== **summary:** the xyz afair is about the affair about how the Untied States and the French The XYZ Affair stirred strong nationalistic attitudes in the hearts of Americans. Many citizens called for a war with France, who just decades before had helped the young nation defeat the British and gain independence. How did a once vibrant and beneficial alliance take a sudden turn for the worse? What made a nation of people call for arms against their former friends? It seems that in a last attempt to breath life into a dying political party, the Federalists used propaganda to convince the American people of the dire threat the French posed to the success of their nation. It is true that the condition of relations between the two independent states began to deteriorate with the French Revolution, however they might not have reached the low point they did if it had not been for the loud voices of the American Federalist Party. The city of Savannah provides a good example of a place in which people were temporarily swayed by Federalist propaganda. It seems that there was not a shift to Federalist ideology in Savannah and throughout the nation, but instead a temporary “rally around the flag” effect.the consequnces were that the had to face the france and there point of there view that they would not want to have to put up with there complaints and they did not want to put with that. Failures,were that they had to have talk to the franch and they had to make the disagreement work better.The video is about bacically about the whole thing that our project is about though with the french and how they need to solve the problem. ====

"XYZ Affair Cartoon." //Bringing down a tyrant//. Web. 15 Dec 2010. []. A cartoon drawn during the XYZ affair. "XYZ Affair Cartoon 2." //Study Skills//. Web. 15 Dec 2010. []. Another cartoon drawn during th XYZ affair. "XYZ Affair Video." //Youtube//. Web. 15 Dec 2010. [] A video that teaches the watcher about the XYZ affair. "XYZ Affair info 1." //Infoplease//. Web. 15 Dec 2010. []. General information that we started off with. "XYZ Affair info 2." //XYZ Affair//. Web. 15 Dec 2010. []. More information that was able to be added. "XYZ Affair info 3." //United States// //History//. Web. 15 Dec 2010. []. More backround info that was helpful to our page.