N
Fame Shock News

xyz affair definition

Author

Charlotte Adams

Updated on June 03, 2026

The XYZ Affair (1797-1798) involved an American peace delegation in France, three agents of the French Foreign Minister (labeled as X, Y, and Z in President John Adams’ initial communications with Congress), and the French Foreign Minister’s demand for a bribe from the American delegation.

What is the XYZ Affair and why was it significant?

The XYZ Affair was a diplomatic incident between French and United States diplomats that resulted in a limited, undeclared war known as the Quasi-War. U.S. and French negotiators restored peace with the Convention of 1800, also known as the Treaty of Mortefontaine.

What was the XYZ Affair Apush?

The XYZ Affair was a 1798 diplomatic scandal involving three U.S. diplomats and three French diplomats (referred to as X, Y, and Z) who had a major impact on subsequent U.S. history.

What is XYZ Affair in social studies?

The XYZ Affair was an incident where three American diplomats sent to Paris were offered a bribe by three French secret agents: X, Y, and Z. Learn the impact of this event on the United State’s relationship with the French in the later 1700s. Updated: 12/20/2021.

What caused the XYZ affairs?

The main cause of the XYZ Affair was the signing of the Jay Treaty between the US and Great Britain. The treaty was meant to prevent a war between the two nations by not allowing the US to trade with “hostile nations,” such as France.