XYZ Affair
• The affair took place during one of the Napoleonic wars
between France and Great Britain. The French regarded
the United States as a hostile nation, particularly after
the signing of Jay's Treaty in 1794. This treaty settled
some of the problems that continued to cause friction
between the United States and Great Britain after the
peace treaty of 1783 that granted the colonies
independence. Consequently, President JOHN ADAMS
appointed Charles Pinckney minister to France in 1796
in an attempt to ease French-U.S. relations.
• After Charles Talleyrand, the French foreign
minister, refused to recognize Pinckney,
Adams appointed a commission to France,
consisting of Pinckney, JOHN MARSHALL,
and Elbridge Gerry. Before official
negotiations on a treaty to establish peaceful
relations and normalize trade could occur,
Talleyrand sent three French agents to meet
with the commission members. The agents
suggested that Talleyrand would agree to the
treaty if he received from the United States a
$250,000 bribe and France received a $10
million loan. The commission refused, with
Pinckney quoted as saying, "No! No! Not a
sixpence!"
• Outraged, the commission sent a report to
Adams, who inserted the letters X, Y, and Z
in place of the agents' names and forwarded
the report to Congress. Congress and the
public were angered at the attempted
blackmail. An undeclared naval war took
place between the two nations between 1798
and 1800. Anticipating a declared war with
France, Congress enacted the Alien and
Sedition Acts. These internal security laws
were aimed at French and Irish immigrants,
who were thought to be supportive of
France. The acts lengthened the period of
naturalization for ALIENS, authorized the
president to expel any alien considered
dangerous, permitted the detention of
subjects of an enemy nation, and limited
FREEDOM OF THE PRESS.
Divide the back of pp.3 into a top and bottom half
Write these questions down on top half of 3b…leave room for your
answers!
16B) Define “Impressment”
16C)List the 4 ingredients of Jays treaty
16D) What was NOT included in the treaty?
16E) Views of the Fed/Rep on the treaty…why?
• 16B) Define “Impressment” Kidnapping of U.S.
sailors & forcing them to work on British ships.
• 16C)List the 4 ingredients of Jays treaty
–
–
–
–
U.S. promised to repay all debts owed to British companies
Britain promised to repay for all stolen cargo
Britain to stop selling weapons to Native Am.
Britain to leave forts in N.W. Territory
• 16D) What was NOT included in the treaty?
– Britain did not have to promise to stop impressments
• 16E) Views of the Fed/Rep on the treaty…why?
– Fed = Happy (peace = trade = $)
– Rep = Sad (impressments not stopped = WAR)
Read Alien and Sedition Acts on pp.173-174.
Create a definition of each.
• Alien Act =
– person had to live here 14 years instead of 5 to apply for
citizenship. Prez could deport anyone he saw as a threat.
• Sedition Act =
– Law limiting free speech and press..if you said anything “False”
against the government or President
– Sedition is any act considered to intend to overthrow the Gov.
– Anyone remember Thomas Jefferson’s words about what we have the
right to do when a Gov is NOT protecting our rights?
Read Alien and Sedition Acts on pp.173-174.
Create a definition of each.
• Alien Act =
– person had to live here 14 years instead of 5 to apply for
citizenship. Prez could deport anyone he saw as a threat.
• Sedition Act =
– Law limiting free speech and press..if you said anything “False”
against the government or President
– Sedition is any act considered to intend to overthrow the Gov.
– Anyone remember Thomas Jefferson’s words about what we have the
right to do when a Gov is NOT protecting our rights?
24. Why did the Federalists support these
acts?
• MOST of the time MOST of us listen to what
our parents tell us to do: take out the trash,
make our beds, be home by 10:00.
• BUT…what if this morning your parents said
“Today, you must wear your sister’s footsie
pajamas to school”. Would MOST of us
listen?
• No, must of us would IGNORE them.
• Well, that is exactly what some Southern
States tried to do with the Alien & Sedition.
They wanted to NULLIFY (ignore) those
acts….
Add this to the back of pp.5…
24B) How did these acts lead to the
Kentucky-Virginia Resolution?
• Southern States = Republican
• Decided they wanted to ignore the A & S
Acts
• ***K & V Resolution = states can nullify
(ignore) any federal law they believe is
unconstitutional****
• Another division between North & South
• Add this question to the back of pp.5
24C) Why were the Republicans against
these two acts?
-limited their supporters ability to vote
-limited “free speech”