The Union ironclad warship USS Monitor was built in reaction to the Confederate Navy’s construction of the ironclad CSS Virginia, and it fought the Virginia to a standstill at the battle of Hampton Roads in 1862. This revolutionized naval warfare by proving the superiority of ironclads over wooden ships, sparking change worldwide as countries reformed their navies by building ironclads. The subsequent adoption of armor and turrets permanently impacted naval strategy and design.