President John Adams initially took a diplomatic approach in handling the XYZ affair. Despite the outrage among many Americans, Adams did not immediately involve the United States in a war with France. Instead, he sent a peace mission to France in 1799, known as the XYZ mission, to negotiate and resolve the tensions. However, when the French demand for bribes before negotiations caused public outrage, Adams refused to submit to the French demands and instead prepared the United States for a possible military conflict with France.
