XYZ Affair

<h1>Text Preview</h1> <p> <P>The signing of Jay’s Treaty, which settled violations of the Treaty of Paris and averted the threat of war with England, induced angry reactions from both American and European politicians. Democratic-Republicans believed the treaty was a humiliating surrender to the British. French leaders, meanwhile, viewed it as a step toward forming a union with their enemy, a flagrant breach of the Franco-American Treaty of 1778. However, an unexpected consequence of the pro-Federalist, Pro-British treaty was that it motivated Spain to negotiate with the United States and cede the panhandle of Florida to the Americans. The treaty also permitted free navigation of the Mississippi River—a boon to westerners, a growing component of the Democratic-Republican constituency. <BR></P> </p> <p> <P>When John Adams took the presidential oath in 1797, he inherited several problems from George Washington’s administration, including strained relations with France. In retaliation for John Jay's agreement with England, French forces plundered more than 300 American ships. To attempt to negotiate a settlement with France and stop the attacks on American shipping, Adams appointed three commissioners: Charles Pinckney, United States minister to France; John Marshall, a Virginia lawyer; and Elbridge Gerry of Massachusetts. <BR></P> </p> <p> <P>The trio experienced a hostile environment when they arrived in France. Instead of speaking directly with Foreign Minister Talleyrand, they communicated through three French agents, whom the commissioners labeled X, Y, and Z in their report to Congress. The agents insisted that before negotiations could begin, the Americans were to pay a $250,000 bribe and a $12 million loan. While bribery was commonplace in eighteenth-century politics, Talleyrand's demand was too high for merely a pledge to negotiate. Pinckney rejected the terms and told the French agents "no, no, not a sixpence." The incident became known as “The XYZ Affair.” <BR></P> </p> <p> <P>When the commissioners' report to Congress was made public, citizens were furious about the French misbehavior. Even the most loyal Democratic-Republicans, who had nurtured and supported a strong relationship with France, felt a sense of betrayal, and many joined a call for war. Pinckney's response to Talleyrand's demands sparked a rallying cry that spread throughout the colonies: "Millions for defense, but not one cent for tribute." <BR></P> </p> <p> <P>Fueled by Federalist politicians eager for a fight, the war campaign garnered more support. Adams refused to declare war but advocated the build up of American armed forces. Congress stopped commercial trade with France, renounced the alliance of 1778, tripled the size of the army, and created a Navy Department with an order for the construction of 40 warships. Adams lured George Washington out of retirement to lead the military and, at the insistence of the general, named Alexander Hamilton as second in command. For the next two and one-half years, American privateers teamed with the newly re-enforced Navy to attack French shipping and capture nearly ninety French vessels. <BR></P> </p> <p> <P>Hamilton led the Federalist charge for war, but Adams remained steadfast in his refusal to sign a formal declaration of war. He believed that war with France would divide the colonies and lead to a civil war. The XYZ Affair may have been Adams’s finest hour because of his decision to put the interests of his nation ahead of those of his party. <BR></P> <P>In 1799, Talleyrand, who did not want to deplete the French military with a fight outside of Europe, let it be known that he was willing to talk. Adams sent another delegation to negotiate a peaceful end to the quasi-war with France. But by the time the envoy arrived in Paris, Napoleon Bonaparte was in power and looking to cut ties with America. The two sides finally produced an agreement, called “The Convention of 1800,” that annulled the 1778 treaty of alliance and excused the French from damage claims of American shippers. Had Adams chosen war, it may have jeopardized the American purchase of Louisiana in 1803. The threat of war with France was eliminated, but the battle of political leaders at home had just begun.<BR></P> </p> <p id="TextCopyright">Copyright 2006 The Regents of the University of California and Monterey Institute for Technology and Education</p>