Nicolaas van Staphorst
Nicolaas and Jacob van Staphorst were involved from 1782–1794 in a total of eleven loans to the United States with a value of 29 million guilders.
In 1782, brothers Nicolaas and Jacob van Staphorst led discussions with John Adams over a Dutch loan to the new nation of the United States of five million guilders, at that time a considerable sum.
Simon Schama noted: "Part of the attraction of this stock was, doubtless, the possibility of buying cheap and selling at a quick profit to investors less well informed than the brokers as to the state of American credit.
After the American example, he advised that the seven regions of the Netherlands and the Generality Lands be forced to give up their sovereignty and administrations, to be replaced by a whole new constitution in which the people's influence on the election of the regents would be hugely increased.
Van Staphorst told Jacques Necker that the entire French debt might be redeemed without any loss through the Amsterdam capital markets.
[11] In 1791 he made an agreement with the sugar refiners Van Beeftingh & Boon of Rotterdam for a venture producing maple syrup in central New York.
Gerrit Boon led the venture that failed to produce maple syrup profitably and transitioned to a land development company that established Oldenbarneveld.
[11] The investments were reorganized as the Holland Land Company in 1795 with shares issued to the Willinks (28.6%), Pieter Stadnitski (23.2%), Jan and Nicolaas van Staphorst & Nicolaas Hubbard (21.4%), Pieter and Christiaan van Eeghen & Company (14.3%), Isaack ten Cate & Hendrick Vollenhoven (8.9%), and Rutger Jan Schimmelpenninck, politician and legal adviser (3.8%).
He met with Pierre-Joseph Cambon president of the National Convention and the Foreign minister Lebrun, discussing the future of the republic and the responsibilities of the French generals.
[14] After the fall of Robespierre they returned to Paris and met with Lazare Carnot a member of Comité du salut public and Dutch diplomats whose intention was to hasten an invasion.
Not long after, Van Staphorst publicly petitioned for revolution should either the English, retreating from Belgium, be welcomed in the city or action be taken against the encroaching French forces.
They requested general Charles Pichegru to plant the liberty tree on the Dam square (during extreme cold and snowy days).
Nicolaas (1742-1801), Roelof (1744–1811 m. Maria Anna Martha Laffont), Jacob (1747–1812) and Jan (1748–1800 m. Magdalena Jacoba van Son).
Jacob van Staphorst married the widow Elisabeth Charlotte Poupart from Sedan, Ardennes on 3 January 1801 in Amsterdam.
