XYZ Affair

Q: Who was involved in the XYZ Affair?

The XYZ Affair was an incident involving three American envoys - Elbridge Gerry, Charles Cotesworth Pinckney, and John Marshall - and French Foreign Minister Charles-Maurice de Talleyrand, who spoke through three intermediary agents code-named 'X', 'Y', and 'Z'.

Q: What was the significance of the XYZ Affair?

The XYZ Affair resulted in the Quasi-War, a brief undeclared naval war between the US and France, and also deepened the political divide in the United States.

Harrison W. Mark

XYZ Affair

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Definition

The XYZ Affair was a diplomatic incident that occurred in 1797-98, involving diplomats from the United States and Revolutionary France. Amidst rising tensions between the two nations, President John Adams sent envoys to Paris to negotiate a treaty, only to find that the French would not open negotiations unless the US paid a bribe. This helped to incite the Quasi-War.

More about: XYZ Affair

Timeline

Oct 1797 - Apr 1798
The XYZ Affair; French diplomats demand bribes from American commissioners as a prerequisite for negotiations, increasing tensions between France and the US.

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