Jacob De Witt.

About Jacob De Witt

Jacob De Witt was a businessman, banker and political figure in Lower Canada and Canada East, Province of Canada. Beginning in the hardware trade, he expanded into steamship transportation on the River St. Lawrence and then banking. He was elected to the Legislative Assembly of Lower Canada and generally supported the Parti patriote, but did not participate in the Lower Canada Rebellion of 1837. After the union of Lower Canada and Upper Canada into the Province of Canada, he was elected to the new Legislative Assembly. He initially supported the reform measures of Louis-Hippolyte LaFontaine, but gradually became more radical, ending his political career as member of the Parti rouge and calling for the voluntary annexation of Canada to the United States. He continued in business, particularly banking, until his death in 1859.