ID: XYZ Affair ## When: 1797-1798
Who:
- United States: President John Adams, Charles Cotesworth Pinckney, John Marshall, Elbridge Gerry (American diplomats)
- France: Agents of French Foreign Minister Talleyrand (later nicknamed X, Y, and Z)
What:
Diplomatic incident where three low-level French agents (X, Y, and Z) demanded a bribe and a loan from American diplomats in exchange for negotiating a treaty to stop French attacks on American ships. The Americans refused, leading to public outrage in the U.S.
Impact? Why Significant?:
- Fueled anti-French sentiment in the United States, leading to the Quasi-War, an undeclared naval conflict with France.
- Increased support for the Federalist Party, who took a hard line against France.
- Contributed to the passage of the Alien and Sedition Acts, which were aimed at suppressing dissent and limiting the power of the Democratic-Republican Party (seen as sympathetic to France).
- Represented a significant challenge to the early American republic in terms of foreign policy and internal divisions.