XYZ Affair & Alien and Sedition Acts

What was impressment?

• Hiring sailors voluntarily

• Forcing sailors onto foreign ships

• Trading goods with France

• Building new ships

The XYZ Affair involved:

• American diplomats bribing French officials

• French agents demanding bribes from Americans

• Britain seizing French ships

• A treaty signed with France

What did Congress do after the XYZ Affair?

• Declared war on Britain

• Created the Navy Department and built ships

• Passed the Sedition Act

• Supported France in war

The Alien Act allowed the president to:

• Grant citizenship

• Expel foreigners considered dangerous

• Force immigrants to vote

• Open borders freely

The Sedition Act made it illegal to:

• Vote in elections

• Speak or write against the government

• Join the military

• Trade with France