1798 Letter by John Steele as Comptroller of the US Treasury

John Steele (November 16, 1764 – August 14, 1815) was a planter, Federalist legislator, comptroller of the U.S. Treasury, and member of the

United States House of Representatives The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the Lower house, lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the United States Senate, Senate being ...

from the state of

North Carolina North Carolina () is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States. The state is the 28th largest and 9th-most populous of the United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, Georgia and So ...

between 1790 and 1793.

Life and career

Born in

Salisbury, North Carolina Salisbury is a city in the Piedmont region of North Carolina, United States; it has been the county seat of Rowan County since 1753 when its territory extended to the Mississippi River. Located northeast of Charlotte and within its metropolita ...

in 1764, the son of Elizabeth Maxwell Gillespie and William Steele, John Steele attended Clio's Nursery and the English School, both near his hometown. Named assessor in 1784 and a town commissioner in 1787, Steele was first elected to the

North Carolina House of Commons The North Carolina House of Representatives is one of the two houses of the North Carolina General Assembly. The House is a 120-member body led by a Speaker of the House, who holds powers similar to those of the President pro-tem in the North Ca ...

from the

Salisbury District Salisbury was a local government district in Wiltshire, England from 1974 to 2009. Its main urban area was the city of Salisbury. The district was formed on 1 April 1974, under the Local Government Act 1972 and the pursuant The English Non- ...

in 1787 and served again multiple times: in 1788, 1794, 1795, 1806, and from 1811 to 1813. He was Speaker of the House in 1811. He was a delegate to the U.S. Constitutional convention in Hillsborough in 1788 and to the 1789 convention in Fayetteville which ratified the

U.S. Constitution The Constitution of the United States is the supreme law of the United States of America. It superseded the Articles of Confederation, the nation's first constitution, in 1789. Originally comprising seven articles, it delineates the natio ...

, and was a special commissioner from North Carolina to treat with the Cherokee and Chickasaw Indians from 1788 to 1790. From April 19, 1790, until March 3, 1793, Steele was a member of the

. A

Federalist The term ''federalist'' describes several political beliefs around the world. It may also refer to the concept of parties, whose members or supporters called themselves ''Federalists''. History Europe federation In Europe, proponents of de ...

, he was considered Pro-Administration. He opposed

assumption Assumption, in Christianity, refers to the Assumption of Mary, a belief in the taking up of the Virgin Mary into heaven. Assumption may also refer to: Places * Assumption, Alberta, Canada * Assumption, Illinois, United States ** Assumption Town ...

of the state debt by the Federal government and the excise tax on whiskey. On July 1, 1796, Steele was appointed

Comptroller of the Treasury The Comptroller of the Treasury was an official of the United States Department of the Treasury from 1789 to 1817. According to section III of the Act of Congress establishing the Treasury Department, it is the comptroller's duty to :''superintend ...

by President

George Washington George Washington (February 22, 1732, 1799) was an American military officer, statesman, and Founding Father who served as the first president of the United States from 1789 to 1797. Appointed by the Continental Congress as commander of th ...

; he was reappointed by Presidents Adams and

Jefferson Jefferson may refer to: Names * Jefferson (surname) * Jefferson (given name) People * Thomas Jefferson (1743–1826), third president of the United States * Jefferson (footballer, born 1970), full name Jefferson Tomaz de Souza, Brazilian foo ...

until his resignation on December 15, 1802. In 1805, Steele was appointed to the board of commissioners tasked with determining the dividing lines between North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia, where he served until 1814.

Death

Steele died on August 14, 1815, in his hometown of Salisbury; that same day, he had been elected again to the North Carolina House of Commons. He is buried in Salisbury's Chestnut Hill Cemetery.

Legacy

The John Steele House was listed on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic v ...

in 1994.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Steele, John 1764 births 1815 deaths Members of the North Carolina House of Representatives Members of the United States House of Representatives from North Carolina North Carolina Federalists Comptrollers of the United States Treasury People from Rowan County, North Carolina 18th-century American politicians 19th-century American politicians