Discuss a treaty to protect U.S shipping in exchange for a bribe.
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it was bad. the french insulted americans, so we went over there
America built up its navy.
Americans were outraged by the XYZ Affair in 1797. The French foreign minister had refused to receive the American ambassador unless he was paid a $ 250,000 bribe and France was given a $10 million loan. The American outrage caused small naval battles to break out between the French and American navies, but in 1800, a peace treaty was signed and good relations between the two countries resumed.
Who was Talleyrand: Charles Maurice de Talleyrand-Périgord was a French statesman who became head of the new government after the fall of Napoleon in 1814. He was later involved in the overthrow of King Charles X, and his succession by King Louis-Phillipe. What role did he play? Hw was the minister the XYZ men whent to to make peace with France. He thold them they had to give him multi-million dollars as a bribe for that.
Public support for the French declined, without noticeably increasing support for British-American connections.