New York City
In 1825, Leavitt moved to New York City and went into business with his brother-in-law Daniel Appleton, who formerly worked as a Boston dry goods merchant but who had founded D. Appleton & Co., a large store on Exchange Place opposite the Customs House, to sell books. Appleton put up the capital for the founding of a publishing business with his brother-in-law Leavitt. The store on Exchange Place was divided into two sections, with Appleton's son William later taking charge of the bookselling functions. After five years of partnership, and feeling he could continue his business without further capital infusions from his brother-in-law, Jonathan Leavitt went into business for himself, opening a store at Broadway and John Streets and hiring George Palmer Putnam (then aged 16) as his apprentice and right-hand man. Appleton and his son subsequently moved their business to what was known as Clinton Hall, on Beekman Street, where they established themselves as well-known booksellers. With his partnership with Appleton dissolved, Leavitt became the leading publisher of religious and theological works in New York city.
Leavitt also acted as publisher for his early employee Putnam, who went on to open his own eponymous publishing firm, which became an industry fixture. "Mr. Leavitt is willing to publish the volume I have compiled", Putnam wrote to a correspondent during his term of employment with Jonathan Leavitt, "as soon as he is satisfied that it will be acceptable with the public." In 1833, Leavitt publish Putnam's first book: Chronology, or An Introduction and Index to Universal History, Biography, and Useful Knowledge. The volume, which Putnam had first compiled for his own use, received a then-enormous printing run of 1,000 copies. The book's success, and Putnam's increasing usefulness to Leavitt's business caused the proprietor to advance him to a salary of two dollars per week, and within a few months to four dollars per week.
Broadway emerged early as center of the publishers who came to New York City, and Leavitt was among the pioneers of the business. Leavitt's brother-in-law Appleton had worked in the dry goods business in Boston, and took on management of the wholesale part of the new firm's printing business. Appleton later founded his own publishing firm, which later grew into one of the industry's largest, nearby at 200 Broadway.
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