5.)Which of the following is the best explanation of the XYZ affair that took place during John Adam's presidency?
A.)Adams tried to purchase three naval ships (X,Y, & Z) from France demanded much more money than the ships were worth & adams rejected the offer.
B.)Adams arrested three French pirates (X,Y, & Z) who had seized American ships & millions of dollar in cargo, & then made a deal with French for their release in exchange for a peace treaty
C.)Adams promoted the idea of creating a committee of three diplomats (X,Y, & Z)
D.)Governments is necessary because people do not always practice civic virtue. Adams tried to promote peace with France, but three french officials (X,Y, & Z)demanded a two hundred & fifty thousand dollar bribe before they would even speak with Americans.
http://www.history.com/news/ask-history/what-was-the-xyz-affair
To determine the best explanation of the XYZ affair, let's analyze each option and evaluate their accuracy and relevance to the historical event:
A.) Adams tried to purchase three naval ships (X, Y, & Z) from France demanded much more money than the ships were worth & Adams rejected the offer.
This option does not accurately depict the XYZ affair. The XYZ affair involved French officials demanding bribes, not a ship purchase.
B.) Adams arrested three French pirates (X, Y, & Z) who had seized American ships & millions of dollars in cargo, & then made a deal with France for their release in exchange for a peace treaty.
This option also does not accurately depict the XYZ affair. The affair primarily involved diplomatic tensions and demands for bribes, not piracy and negotiations for the release of pirates.
C.) Adams promoted the idea of creating a committee of three diplomats (X, Y, & Z).
This option does not accurately depict the XYZ affair. While Adams did send diplomats to negotiate with France, the XYZ affair specifically refers to the demands for bribes made by the French officials, not the creation of a committee.
D.) Governments are necessary because people do not always practice civic virtue. Adams tried to promote peace with France, but three French officials (X, Y, & Z) demanded a two hundred & fifty thousand dollar bribe before they would even speak with Americans.
This option accurately describes the XYZ affair. During John Adams' presidency, French officials known as X, Y, and Z demanded a bribe before they would engage in diplomatic negotiations with the Americans. This incident strained relations between the United States and France.
Therefore, option D is the best explanation of the XYZ affair that took place during John Adams' presidency.