Abstract:
General John Steel was born at Salisbury, North Carolina in 1764. He became a general of militia, but his services to the State were upon fields of peace rather than in the theatre of war. He started life as a merchant, but his natural gift for public leadership and his power as a debater helped him to election to the House of Commons. He was also a delegate to the Convention in 1788 to consider the ratification of the Federal Constitution. In 1790, he was one of the first members of Congress.