What African-American folk hero was famous for driving steel?

The African-American folk hero famous for driving steel was John Henry. In the legend, Henry was a powerful railroad worker who hammered steel drills into rock to create holes for explosives during tunnel construction.

The best-known version of his story has Henry competing against a steam-powered drilling machine. He wins the contest through extraordinary strength and endurance, but dies with his hammer in hand after the effort overwhelms him. The tale became a celebrated ballad and symbolized the dignity of human labor in the face of industrial technology.

John Henry is often described as a Black American freedman, though historians have debated whether the legend was based on a specific real person. Some research connects the story with railroad and convict labor in post-Civil War Virginia. The location is also disputed: popular tradition names West Virginia’s Big Bend Tunnel, while other historical interpretations point to Lewis Tunnel. The identity of the hero remains uncertain, but “John Henry” is the canonical quiz answer.