President Marthinus Theunis Steyn died whilst addressing a meeting, suffering a heart attack, on 28 November 1916, aged 59.
His early education was at a farm school, followed by him graduating from Grey College in Bloemfontein.
He then studied law at Leiden University in the Netherlands. As he needed an English certificate and training to be allowed to practice law in South Africa, he took an admission exam in January 1880 for the Inner Temple in London.
On successful completion he was called to the English bar in November 1882, returning to South Africa shortly thereafter where he set up his own legal practice.
in February 1896, after a decisive victory, Steyn, was elected President of the Orange Free State.
The beginning of the South African War, in 1899, caused Steyn to link the fortunes of the Free State with those of the Transvaal, against the British Empire.
When the Free State was under British occupation, Steyn ran his government from the field, playing a key role in the continued Boer resistance.
Regarded as one of the most irreconcilable of the Boer leaders, he however took part in the preliminary peace negotiations at Klerksdorp in April 1902 but was prevented by illness from signing the Treaty of Vereeniging at Pretoria on 31 May 1902.
Continued ill health dogged the rest of his life.
