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By the time the American Revolution ended, Thomas Jefferson had become well known. He was also well respected.
Many of the new nation’s leaders asked for his advice. They sent Jefferson to Paris to represent the U.S. Six years later, in 1790, President George Washington picked Jefferson to be one of the four members of his Cabinet. They were the president’s closest advisors. As secretary of state, Jefferson spoke for the U.S. when conducting business with other countries.
Washington served two terms as president. Then he stepped down. Jefferson’s supporters wanted him to run for the office. So he did, challenging his friend John Adams for the nation’s top job. Although he lost a close race to Adams, Jefferson served as Adams’s vice president.
Four years later, in 1800, Jefferson again ran for president. This time he won.
