James Roosevelt

Who was James Roosevelt?

Jacobus Roosevelt, known as James, was an American businessman and politician from New York City and a member of the Roosevelt family.

Born on January 10, 1760 and baptized on January 23 that same year, in New York City, he was the son of Isaac Roosevelt and Cornelia Hoffman, and the great-great-grandson of the first Roosevelt in America, Claes Maartenszen Van Rosenvelt. He graduated from Princeton in 1780.

James was a sugar-refiner and banker in post-revolutionary New York, and amassed a large fortune in addition to his inheritance. An active Federalist, he served in the New York State Assembly in 1796 and 1797 and was an alderman in the New York City Council for the Fourth Ward in 1809. However, his interest in politics was less than previous Roosevelts, especially his father, and he was the last of his branch of the family to engage in politics until Franklin D. Roosevelt. He engaged in some philanthropy with the large fortune he acquired through business. He was also involved in the Bank of New York like his father, but was never its president.