Roosevelt, like his father, was a sugar-refiner. A banker in post-revolutionary New York, he amassed a large fortune in addition to his inheritance. He worked out of 333 Pearl Street under the firm of C. J. & H. Roosevelt. He was 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. His interest in politics was less than previous Roosevelts, including his father; he was the last of his branch of the family to engage in politics until his great-grandson,
Franklin Delano 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. At one point, he owned stony farmland at
Harlem, now occupied by 120 city blocks between 110th and 125th streets and Fifth Avenue and the
East River. He sold it for $25,000, partly to
John Jacob Astor. In 1819, Roosevelt removed to
Poughkeepsie and bought a large tract of land on the
Hudson River called Mount Hope. ==Personal life==