Which incident caused problems between France and the US?

a. New Jersey Plan

b. XYZ Affair

c. Alien and Sedition Acts

d. Kentucky & Virginia Resolution

The answer is letter b, XYZ Affair.

Explanation:

The "XYZ Affair" has an interesting story to tell. It is an international incident which started relatively small but began to cause a wider dispute between United States and France.

It all started with the problems regarding how to finance the European war that was happening that time. This was brought about by the Jay Treaty with Great Britain (1794). This angered the French people and as a response, they issued an order to seize the merchant ships of the American people. The President (John Adams), knowing about what was happening, tried to make peace with France by sending three commissioners. Instead of meeting the Foreign Minister of France (Tallyrand), the commissioners were met by intermediaries. The intermediaries proposed several conditions or deals in order for them to meet Tallyrand. This surprised the U. S. envoys and the news propagated to John Adams who prepared the nation for war.