(7.2.4) How did President John Adams change American foreign policy following the XYZ Affair of 1797?

Source 4

Political Cartoon the XYZ Affair (1798)

In 1795, the Senate approved the Jay Treaty which led to free trade with Britain. This treaty angered the French government. As a result, France started seizing American ships. In 1797, President John Adams sent American diplomats to France to negotiate. When the American diplomats arrived in France, three French officials demanded America loan France $12 million dollars or negotiations between the countries would not start. This incident was called the XYZ affair after John Adams called these three French officials X, Y, and Z. The XYZ Affair led to France and America having a series of unofficial naval battles called the Quasi-War.

The United States is represented by the woman, who is being robbed by five Frenchmen.

XYZ

Question 2 options:

He asked Congress to officially declare war on France which started the Quasi-War.

He supported France over Great Britain in the French Revolutionary Wars.

He ordered attacks on all British merchant and cargo ships in the Atlantic Ocean.

He increased the size of the army and navy to protect from French naval attacks.

During this period, the course of the American foreign policy course began. During this period, America began to stand out as a significant international superpower. In 1793 Britain and France were at war. America did not want to interfere in the conflict between the two countries. Soon Britain and the US signed a treaty regulating several long-standing disputes. Such a move was welcomed in France. They considered that this was in breach of relations between France and the United States.

This is why they have seized American merchant ships. Washington sent its foreign minister for talks to France, which was rejected. The next President, John Adams, has sent a three-member delegation to negotiate with the French. Pinckney diplomats, along with John Marshall and Elbridge Gerry arrived and tried to meet with the French foreign minister. The French demanded millions of dollars in damages and credit from the united states, and that this was the only way to approach any diplomatic talks at all. This news in America was greeted with great resentment that prompted more intense thinking about the war. In such a situation, members of Congress sought a report from US diplomats on what happened in France. The president handed over the names replaced by the letters X, Y and Z. This is how the name of the XYZ affair came about. In these circumstances, Congress approved specific methods and mechanisms that required the defence of American interests.