Post-revolutionary America struggled to find a place in a changing world. Leaders worked to preserve peace and unity between the states and other countries. John Adams once exclaimed that if he were chosen to run the nation, he would never move aggressively against France without a necessary cause. (DeConde, 3) Two years later, the French had captured hundreds of helpless American merchant vessels. Amidst America’s pleas for them to stop, France demanded payment. Soon diplomacy and unofficial war between the two countries ensued. The XYZ Affair and Quasi War empowered post-revolutionary America, through acting as a catalyst for strengthening the military, improving foreign relations with France, and increasing trade between the new and old world. The Quasi War showed the U.S. Government, and its citizens their lack of preparation for a transatlantic war. Following the Revolutionary War, the remaining colonial navy was sold to other countries and merchants because the price of maintaining these vessels was too high. Thomas Jefferson once observed, “A naval force can never endanger our liberties, nor occasion bloodshed; a land force would do both.” Navies didn’t seem to have as much of a threat as standing armies. A clear necessity for a navy was seen…show more content… The insurance rate of the average transatlantic shipment was more than 40% because of the great risk of capture by the French or the British. In 1798 the United States’ navy was deployed, and within six months insurance rates had dropped almost 20%. By the beginning of the following year $8.5 million had been saved on insurance, and the rate had fallen to about 10%. (DeConde, 130) With this momentous cutback on the price of naval transport, trade between the new and old world increased significantly. This was due to the fact that the Americans could trade almost