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By the time the American Revolution ended, Thomas Jefferson was well known and respected. Many of the new nation’s leaders turned to him for advice.
The nation’s lawmakers sent Jefferson to Paris as a representative of the young nation. Six years later, in 1790, President George Washington picked Jefferson to be one of his four closest advisors in his new Cabinet. As secretary of state, Jefferson spoke for the United States in dealings with other countries.
After Washington stepped down as president, Jefferson’s friends and supporters urged him to run for the office. He did so, challenging his friend John Adams for the nation’s top job. Although he lost in a close race to Adams, Jefferson served as Adams’s vice president.
Four years later, in 1800, Jefferson tried for the presidency once again and won.
