Answer:
In 1784, the Congress of Confederation, which was the precursor assembly to the U.S. Congress, sent Thomas Jefferson to France as a foreign minister (ambassador). Jefferson had previously served as a member of the Continental Congress, governor of Virginia, and a member of the Congress of Confederation. Jefferson was highly educated: he was a ''Renaissance man'' in every sense of the word. He also had a deep appreciation for France and its culture. Being recently widowed, he likely believed that time in France would help heal the wounds of losing his beloved wife, Martha.
