Final answer:
The XYZ Affair was an event that involved diplomatic relations between the US and France in 1797-98. It began due to the French seizure of US ships and escalated when France required a large bribe to begin peace negotiations. The event changed public sentiment against France and was instrumental in the subsequent Quasi-War.
Step-by-step explanation:
The XYZ Affair was a significant event in the diplomatic relationships between the United States and France during the late 18th century. This event took place in 1797 and 1798 when Adams’s administration tried to maintain peace between the United States and France amid an undeclared naval war.
The XYZ Affair originated from the United States displeasure with the French seizure of U.S. ships. Three American negotiators in France were approached by three French agents, referred to anonymously as X, Y, and Z in dispatches sent to the U.S.
The agents demanded significant financial compensation to even begin peace negotiations, leading to a serious diplomatic breakdown - the so-called XYZ Affair.
The XYZ Affair was a major political and diplomatic episode, early in the administration of John Adams, involving a confrontation between the United States and Republican France that led to the Quasi-War.
News of the XYZ Affair afforded the Federalists the opportunity to marshal anti-French sentiment in the U.S, making it a pivotal moment in the political history of the United States.
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