The XYZ Affair:

 

The XYZ Affair was when The U.S. had an alliance with the French but the French didn't live up to their end of the alliance. Instead President Adams made an allience with Brittan which up set France. To talk over the allience of the Americans and the French, President Adams sent three representatives from America to see the French Foreign Minister Talleyrand. But Talleyrand refused to see these three representatives and sent 3 secret agents instead, also known as X, Y, and Z. The agents told the Americans, “We will not sign a peace treaty until you give Talleyrand a bunch of money as a tribute.” Americans were angry and shouted the slogan, “Millions to defend, but not a cent to tribute.”

            The Congress voted to send a 10,000 men army to attack. The U.S. built 12 new ships and privateers, privately owned ships, to the sea to create an undeclared war. America caught 80 French ships during this time. This event was named The XYZ Affair after the three agents who told America there would be no peace treaty.

          The XYZ affair was important because even though it sent France and America to war, they both signed a peace treaty to make peace between the two nations. Without it America could of been at war with France for so much longer then we were. Today, France and America are Allys. But not as close as Brittan and America. That is probably because of how America made an alliance with Brittan when France didn't live up to their end of the deal. So what happened in 1797 effects what happens today.

    President Adams

Resources:

Pictures:

President Adams. http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://content.answers.com/main/content/wp/en/1/17/Adamstrumbull.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.answers.com/topic/xyz-affair&h=184&w=148&sz=15&hl=en&start=12&tbnid=ifl_eouIoabfrM:&tbnh=102&tbnw=82&prev=/images%3Fq%3DXYZ%2Baffair%26gbv%3D2%26svnum%3D10%26hl%3Den. 8/30/07.

Book:

Bower, Bert and Lobdell, Jim. History Alive! The United States. Palo Alto, CA, Teacher's Curriculum Institute, 2oo2.

Web Pages:

The XYZ Affair. http://bartelby.com/65/xy/XYZAffai.html. 8/30/07