XYZ_Affair Elbridge_Gerry

charles maurice de talleyrand (portrait françois gérard) insisted gerry remain in paris after negotiations failed.

president adams appointed gerry member of special diplomatic commission sent republican france in 1797. tensions had risen between 2 nations after 1796 ratification of jay treaty, made between , great britain. seen french leaders signs of anglo-american alliance, , france had consequently stepped seizures of american ships. adams chose gerry, on cabinet s opposition (on political grounds gerry insufficiently federalist), because of long-standing relationship; adams described gerry 1 of 2 impartial men in america (adams himself being other).

gerry joined co-commissioners charles cotesworth pinckney , john marshall in france in october 1797 , met briefly foreign minister talleyrand. days after meeting, delegation approached 3 french agents (at first identified x , y , , z in published papers, leading controversy called xyz affair ) demanded substantial bribes commissioners before negotiations continue. commissioners refused, , sought unsuccessfully engage talleyrand in formal negotiations. believing gerry approachable of commissioners, talleyrand successively froze first pinckney , marshall out of informal negotiations, , left france in april 1798. gerry, sought leave them, stayed behind because talleyrand threatened war if left. gerry refused make significant negotiations afterward , left paris in august. dispatches describing commission s reception had been published in united states, raising calls war. undeclared naval quasi-war (1798–1800) followed. federalists, notably secretary of state timothy pickering, accused gerry of supporting french , abetting breakdown of talks, while adams , republicans such thomas jefferson supported him. negative press damaged gerry s reputation, , burned in effigy protestors in front of home. later vindicated, when correspondence talleyrand published. in response federalist attacks on him, , because of perception federalist-led military buildup threatened republican values, gerry formally joined democratic-republican party in 1800, standing election governor of massachusetts.