James Greenleaf

Who was James Greenleaf?

James Greenleaf was an important early American land speculator. A member of a prominent and wealthy Boston family, he married a Dutch noblewoman and was briefly consul at the United States embassy in Amsterdam. Returning to the United States, he engaged in land speculation in the District of Columbia, New York state, and other areas. He was a central figure in the early development of Washington, D.C. His land business collapsed in 1797, and he spent a year in debtor's prison. He married a wealthy Pennsylvania heiress after his release, and spent the remainder of his life in genteel poverty, fending off lawsuits.